The document discusses the need to expand halal certification in Indonesia's halal tourism industry. It notes that Indonesia has great potential for halal tourism given that the majority (86.93%) of its population is Muslim. However, Muslim tourists still have doubts about the halalness of facilities and products at Indonesian destinations due to a lack of widespread halal certification. Expanding halal certification would help address these concerns and boost Indonesia's halal tourism sector. The document outlines some of the challenges to expanding halal certification in Indonesia's tourism industry and proposes collaborating with local communities and governments to improve infrastructure and seek financial assistance to support certification.

1. The Need for the Expansion of Halal Certification
to Improve Indonesia's Halal Tourism Industry
By: Diana Zalfanur and Istikomah Dwi Lestari
Halal tourism is a new tourism concept that has developed rapidly in this
decade, especially in Indonesia, considering that the majority of the population is
Muslim. In Indonesia, the number of Muslims reaches 86.93% of the current
Indonesian population. Every year, Muslims spend their funds on tourism activities,
so that the halal tourism sector will increase along with the number of Muslim
tourists who continue to grow every year. This shows that Indonesia has the
potential to increase international Muslim tourist arrivals from various countries
with halal tourism in Indonesia.
Indonesia not only has a great opportunity to meet the basic needs of Muslim
tourists, but Indonesia also has many tourist destinations, including beautiful
natural scenery combined with various cultural uniqueness of the community, such
as beaches, mountains, lakes, and many more pleasant destinations and city
skylines, and also magestic throughout the culture. There are also events and
festivals throughout the year which are often held by the ministry of tourism of the
Republic of Indonesia, Kementerian Pariwisata dan Industri Ekonomi Kreatif
Republik Indonesia. Indonesia's beautiful and unique tourist destinations are
supported by facilities for Muslim tourists visiting, making Indonesia different from
other halal tourist destinations. Indonesia does not only offer natural tourism, but
also a halal tourism destination.
The criteria for halal tourism in Indonesia are determined by two institutions
that serve as references and guidelines for the halal tourism industry in Indonesia,
namely the government and the Indonesian ulema council. The government
agencies are represented by the ministry of tourism and creative economy industry
of the Republic of Indonesia, Kementerian Pariwisata dan Industri Ekonomi Kreatif
Republik Indonesia, while the Indonesian ulema council is represented, Majelis
Ulama Indonesia, by the national sharia council, Dewan Syariah Nasional (DSN).
In 2013, the ministry of tourism and creative economy industry of the Republic of
Indonesia together with the national sharia council has set criteria for halal tourism

2. which includes nine principles: 1) oriented to the benefit of the people; 2) oriented
towards enlightenment, refreshment, and serenity; 3) avoid idolatry and
superstition; 4) avoid immorality; 5) maintain behavior, ethics, and noble human
values; 6) maintain trust, security, and comfort; 7) is universal and inclusive; 8)
protect the environment; and 9) uphold social and cultural values as well as local
wisdom.
With the majority of Indonesia's population being Muslim, it does not mean
that Indonesia is free from halal certification. The great potential for halal tourism
in Indonesia should be a special consideration in developing the Indonesian halal
tourism industry through the expansion of halal certification. This is because
Muslim tourists still have doubts about the halalness of the guarantee of the safety
of the facilities or products available at Indonesian tourist destinations. Those who
have religious sensitivity feel less at ease if in their tourist activities it is difficult to
find halal labels, both in food products and in accommodation. In fact, a country
with a non-Muslim majority population can attract a very large number of Muslim
tourists because of the widespread halal certification in the country.
Although the Indonesian government has ratified regulations regarding
halal products in the form of Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning guaranteed halal
products, in reality there are obstacles to its implementation. The regulations issued
by the government as the foundation and technical guidelines to accelerate the
expansion of halal certification have not been fully implemented optimally,
especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (Usaha Kecil, Mikro, dan
Menengah). Another obstacle in implementing halal product regulations is that in
breaking through for export products, Indonesia is still faced with disproportionate
halal standards constraints due to the fact that Indonesia's halal certification has not
been recognized in certain countries.
The Indonesian state actually has sufficient capital to increase the
development of the halal sector. The capital is religious and demographic, socio-
cultural, business in industry, human, bilateral and multilateral relations, and the
economy. In terms of religious and demographic capital, Indonesia's Muslim
population reaches 238.09 million. In terms of socio-cultural capital, the halal
lifestyle, which has become a tradition, and the creativity of the community

3. continue to develop to meet the potential of the halal industry in Indonesia. In terms
of business capital in the industrial sector, various halal products continue to
increase in supply and demand from year to year, with the number of Indonesian
micro, small, and medium enterprises reaching 62 million. In terms of human
capital, Indonesia already has thousands of academics, researchers, and
practitioners, as well as halal-based industry players supported by knowledge,
abilities, experience, networks, and skills. In terms of relations with other countries,
Indonesia has strengthened cooperation with foreign countries through the WTO,
IMT-GT, SMIIC, and so on. Meanwhile, in terms of economic capital, the field of
Islamic banking and the growth of Islamic finance in Indonesia are increasingly
widespread and in demand.
The Indonesian state still faces challenges in the halal certification process,
especially from the internal side, namely the challenges faced in pursuing halal
certification in Indonesian tourism. The challenge is the low awareness of tourism
actors on the importance of halal certification for the Indonesian tourism industry.
This often happens in big cities, which prioritize income over security regarding
the halalness of the tourism industry. Although there are regulations governing this
matter, namely Law No. 10 of 2009 concerning Tourism, it still cannot be
implemented comprehensively and optimally. Another challenge is the lack of
facilities and infrastructure that support Indonesian halal tourism in accordance
with sharia. This is very important to note because it will be the focal point of local
and international Muslim tourists in attracting their attention. The next challenge is
that in an effort to achieve halal certification in the tourism industry in Indonesia,
certification costs are certainly not cheap. This is a separate problem for the
government and for the community at this time, so it is necessary to have
harmonious efforts and cooperation between the government and the surrounding
community to contribute to the Indonesian halal tourism industry in order to be able
to face and resolve these challenges.
Thus, efforts can be made in the context of expanding halal certification in
the tourism industry in Indonesia, namely by collaborating with local communities
adjacent to tourist destinations to seek to improve the quality of the Indonesian halal
tourism industry by cooperating with local governments to contribute to developing

4. destinations. halal tourism, then the local government also bridges the surrounding
community so that they want to work together and provide counseling on the
importance of halal certification in the tourism industry because it can improve the
tourism industry in their area. Local governments can also seek to coordinate with
the central government or the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the
Republic of Indonesia to be willing to accommodate efforts to develop the halal
tourism industry by submitting financial assistance that can be used to improve the
quality and infrastructure in accordance with sharia so that the tourism industry will
be able to get halal certification. So, when you get the halal certification, it will
increase the halal tourism industry in Indonesia in terms of the popularity of the
tour or the income that will be earned later.
Reference
World Tourism Organization. (n.d.). Global and Regional Tourism Performance.
UNWTO Dashboard. https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-
regional-tourism-performance. Retrieved at 12:20 pm in October 10, 2022.
Kusnandar, V. B. (2022). Sebanyak 86,93% Penduduk Indonesia Beragama Islam
pada 31 Desember 2021. Databoks.
https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2022/02/12/sebanyak-8693-
penduduk-indonesia-beragama-islam-pada-31-desember-2021.. Retrieved
at 10:17 am in October 15, 2022.