BI and Tourism Ministry Boost Competitiveness of Muslim-Friendly Tourism

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Bank Indonesia (BI), through its Sharia Economics and Finance Department (DEKS), has initiated a collaborative program with the Ministry of Tourism to strengthen the competitiveness and governance of tourism villages. The goal is to make these villages higher-quality, inclusive, and sustainable, while enabling them to reach a broader market of tourists.

This initiative was realized through the "Capacity Building Bootcamp for Leading Muslim-Friendly Tourism Villages," held from August 5–7, 2026, in Bandung, West Java. Masruroh, the Ministry of Tourism’s Expert Staff for Digital Transformation and Tourism Innovation, stated that tourism villages hold a strategic position in the development of quality tourism. They serve as spaces where tourists can interact directly with the richness of local culture, nature, traditions, and the lives of local communities.

"Strengthening the capacity of tourism village managers is a crucial investment in creating destinations that are high-quality, competitive, and capable of delivering sustainable benefits to the community. In the context of developing quality tourism through Muslim-Friendly Tourism, the growth of the Muslim tourist market represents a strategic opportunity that must be further cultivated," Masruroh said in a statement on Monday, August 10, 2026.

This event is part of the 2026 Muslim-Friendly Tourism Strengthening Program, designed to accelerate capacity building for tourism village managers in developing products, services, and destination governance. The program aims to enable tourism villages to better meet the needs of Muslim tourists while simultaneously providing a comfortable travel experience for all visitors.

Masruroh explained that Muslim-Friendly Tourism (PRM) is not solely focused on providing religious facilities. Rather, PRM is an approach to offering additional services that make the travel experience more comfortable, convenient, safe, and inclusive for tourists. Masruroh emphasized that the implementation of Muslim-Friendly Tourism (PRM) principles in tourism villages is not intended to alter the character or identity of the destinations. Instead, PRM serves as part of a strategy to enhance service quality and the visitor experience while prioritizing the culture, local wisdom, and unique characteristics of each tourism village.

“PRM is not a concept that restricts specific types of tourists. Rather, it is an approach to creating destinations that are increasingly comfortable, inclusive, and accessible, capable of delivering a superior tourism experience for all visitors,” Masruroh said.

The bootcamp was attended by 25 leading tourism villages from five provinces: Aceh, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara. These five provinces achieved the best results in the 2025 Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI).

The 25 participants were selected through a curation process conducted by a team appointed by Bank Indonesia, chosen from a pool of 63 tourism villages with high potential. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in a series of activities including intensive training, mentoring, group discussions, the formulation of follow-up plans, and field visits.