REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sapta Nirwandar said that Muslim tourists' spending in the world reached 137 billion USD per year. The value was 12.5 percent of global expenditure, based on Thomson Reuters in State of the Global Islamic Economy 2012.

Nirwandar said in 2018 the figure would rise to 181 billion IDR without cost of hajj and umra pilgrimage. 

"Since the spending is potentially high, then Indonesia must identify Islamic tourism business and its products," Nirwandar said on Sunday.

At least 239 million domestic tourist trips spent 138 trillion IDR in 2011. The figure then increased to 245 million domestic tourist trips in 2012.

"If 88.1 percent of them are Muslim tourists, there are 215 million domestic tourists trips with cost of expenditure of 142.3 billion IDR," Nirwandar said.

Government began to strengthen cooperation with Islamic Cooperation Organization members especially to enhance Islamic tourism development. Indonesia also needs to promote Islamic tourism destinations also its products, such as hotels, tour packages, restaurants and spas. 

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