Visa Out, dollars In
The halal logo welcomed guests entering Cafe Bayan at Hotel Santika Mataram in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) last week. No beer or other alcoholic beverages were on tap. An assortment of dishes on the menu came with the halal guarantee for Muslim visitors. The three-star inn holds the status of 'hilal one', meaning that the hotel is equipped with the minimum requirements for the basic necessities of a Muslim. "There are instructions on the direction of the qibla in the room ceiling, ablution places and a prayer hall for the congregation," said Reza Bovier, general manager of Hotel Santika Mataram.
The NTB government is aggressively promoting 'halal tourism' programs. The result is remarkable: NTB was selected as the World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination and the World's Best Halal Tourism Destination at the World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTSE) in 2015, which was held on October 19-21, 2015, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. "This is a victory for all of us. In the future, we must focus on developing Indonesia as a destination for Muslim tourists," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya told reporters two weeks ago.
November 3, 2015
The halal logo welcomed guests entering Cafe Bayan at Hotel Santika Mataram in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) last week. No beer or other alcoholic beverages were on tap. An assortment of dishes on the menu came with the halal guarantee for Muslim visitors. The three-star inn holds the status of 'hilal one', meaning that the hotel is equipped with the minimum requirements for the basic necessities of a Muslim. "There are instructions on the direct
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