Indonesia general election disrupting umrah travel as voters postpone pilgrimage
JAKARTA – The general election on April 17 has already disrupted Indonesians’ umrah travel plans and affected operators’ businesses, Syam Resfiadi, chairperson of industry body Hajj and Umrah Inbound Organiser Association (ASPHURINDO) told Salaam Gateway.
Around 100,000 would-be Indonesian pilgrims have postponed their umrah to the end of May at the earliest, when all matters related to the election will be cleared, including voter count disputes, said Resfiadi. This number includes about 10,000 government officials and those involved with political parties.
“They are given limited time to travel abroad during [the election] period and thus affects our market,” Resfiadi told Salaam Gateway.
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