Exploring the Potential of Halal Tourism as a Solution to Muslim Tourist Demand

Abstract

The high level of public interest in tourism has led to the development of tourism villages as a new industry, aimed at supporting sustainable tourism, including Muslim-friendly tourism. Further studies and research are needed to enable Indonesia's tourism sector to compete with other Muslim-majority countries that have already launched halal tourism branding. This research seeks to assess the readiness of Ketapanrame Tourism Village in offering Muslim-friendly tourism to capitalize on halal tourism opportunities. The study applies new, more comprehensive, and up-to-date assessment criteria and indicators to evaluate the destination's alignment with global halal tourism standards. The research adopts a qualitative, phenomenological approach, utilizing primary data. The results show that, while efforts have been made to provide sharia-compliant facilities, such as homestays, places of worship, and certified halal food, the village has not fully met all standards, particularly regarding swimming pool partitioning and the comprehensive application of sharia principles. Several aspects still require improvement to reach a higher standard