Halal Tourism: Between Economic Opportunities and Social Acceptance

Abstract

Halal Tourism trends encounter improvement due to the increasing number of Muslim tourists who travel to various countries and spend an exceptional amount of funds every year. Halal Tourism positively affects countries’ economic growth, including Indonesia. GMTI 2019 places Indonesia as the best Halal Tourism destination. Consequently, the Indonesia government is continuously working on this promising economic opportunity by developing Halal Tourism destinations in several areas. However, what has been projected by the Indonesia government to grab this global economic opportunity faces social rejections. This study aims to analyze the economic opportunity of the Halal Tourism trend and the acceptance from Indonesia’s society affected by this project development. The literature analysis reveals that Indonesia society refuses the Halal Tourism concept due to the low comprehension of the Halal Tourism concept. Thus, education on Halal Tourism should be conducted, and focused segmentation of Halal Tourism destination is urgent to be completed.