Indonesia nabs third spot in Global Muslim Travel Index 2017

The majestic Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Aceh. Among the 130 countries evaluated by the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, Indonesia has taken third spot with a score of 72.6. (Shutterstock/File)

Among the 130 countries evaluated by the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, Indonesia has taken third spot with a score of 72.6, an increase from last year's score of 70.6.

Malaysia earned the highest score with 82.5, followed by United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 76.9. Turkey followed behind Indonesia with 72.4.

CrescentRating & HalalTrip CEO Fazal Bahardeen says that the Muslim travel market is expected to reach US$220 billion by 2020.

Indonesia’s rise in the GMTI 2017 is due to the lifestyle of young travelers who want to have more options, unique experiences and constant connectivity.

“We are definitely seeing the influence of a new breed of young travelers, millennials and generation Z who are combining technology with real desire to explore the world, while still adhering to their faith-based needs,” Bahardeen said.

In 2016, Indonesia had an increase of 2.7 million or up 20 percent in the number of tourists that visited the county’s halal, or family-friendly, destinations.

This year, the Tourism Ministry is aiming to reach the 3.7 million mark, a 30 percent increase.

According to Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, the most visible increase has occurred in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, which recorded a 50 percent tourist increase in 2016 from the previous year thanks to halal tourism.

“The growth and hotel occupancy rate in Lombok has also reached 80 percent,” said Arief. (JakartaPost)