SHARIA HOTELS AND HALAL TOURISM ECOSYSTEM: STRATEGIES TO MAKE INDONESIA THE CENTER OF HALAL TOURISM IN THE WORLD

Abstract

Indonesia, as a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, has excellent potential to develop halal tourism, with Sharia hotels as the main element of this ecosystem. However, there are several obstacles, such as inconsistent service standards, inadequate infrastructure, limited innovation, and negative perceptions of the competitiveness of Sharia hotels compared to conventional hotels. This gap phenomenon hinders the optimization of Indonesia's position as the center of halal tourism in the world. This study aims to analyze the contribution of Sharia hotels to halal tourism in Indonesia, identify challenges in implementing internationally competitive halal tourism, and formulate strategic solutions to make Indonesia the world's halal tourism center. This research uses a qualitative method with a descriptive-analytical approach. The research data is sourced from statistics, literature reviews, and industry reports. The study results show that Sharia hotels contribute to meeting the needs of Muslim tourists, increasing the country's foreign exchange, and creating local jobs. However, the main challenges include more standardization, promotion, and infrastructure. With the Tawhid String Relationship (TSR) approach, this research offers solutions in the form of educational campaigns, simplification of the certification process, development of Muslim-friendly infrastructure, targeted promotion, and innovation of Islamic values-based services. This research contributes to the development of halal tourism theory by applying TSR and offers practical guidance for stakeholders. The latest research lies in a systematic approach to bridging the gap between theory and practice, thus strengthening Indonesia's position as the world's leading halal tourism destination.