Indonesia and Malaysia must leverage complementary halal tourism offerings, says Indonesia Ministry of Tourism official
Photo: Temple in Bali, Indonesia (left) and Kuala Lumpur twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (right)
No large-scale joint halal tourism ventures have emerged between Malaysia and Indonesia two years after the inaugural Joint Seminar on Islamic Tourism (JoSIT) in Kuala Lumpur, says director of promotion for Southeast Asia at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism Rizki Handayani.
The annual JoSIT focuses on enhancing the service and hospitality industries catering to Muslim visitors in both countries, as well as other places in Southeast Asia. Despite two seminars already — the second was in Bandung, a satellite city of Jakarta —businesses in both Indonesia and Malaysia are still in “a preparation phase”, said Handayani.
She told Salaam Gateway there is a need to further customize products and services to suit the budding halal tourism sector. Halal options for travelers in Malaysia and Indonesia, she said, are still lacking, despite a rising demand for exclusive facilities and services.
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Leighton Cosseboom