REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Jakarta administration will promote the development of Sharia hotels to create more job opportunities, according to Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno.
"There is an initiative to promote Sharia hotels, and there are plenty of people interested in it. There will be investors willing to develop Sharia hotels," Uno said here, Wednesday.
PT Jakarta Tourisindo will prepare the concept to develop Sharia hotels, said Jeffrey Rantung, president director of the Jakarta-owned company engaged in hotel and tourism services.
The ideal location for Sharia hotels will be in North Jakarta, which has several religion-based tourist destinations, according to Uno.
Meanwhile, Uno had earlier noted that Sharia or halal tourism will be promoted in the capital city to boost small- and medium-scale businesses.
"Reza, chairman of the Jakarta Sharia economic community, has offered some inputs on halal tourism and plans to propose several activities related to the halal tourism program," Uno said recently.
The community has planned to organize training courses to support the Jakarta halal tourism program, among other things.
Former employees of the Alexis Group hotel will be part of the training course. They will also be offered jobs in Sharia-compliant hotels.
Sharia-compliant hotels are currently booming in Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur, so Jakarta should not be left behind, Uno emphasized.
"We are now collecting data on Sharia hotels in Jakarta. I have personally visited several of them, such as the Sofyan Hotels in Tebet and Menteng," he added.