THE EFFORT OF WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE TO EMBRACE HALAL TOURISM

Abstract

In order to embrace economic resilience as form of national resilience, tourism effort is needed so every provinces in Indonesia able to introduce any potential that they have globally. Halal tourism is one way to gaining lucrative prospect from muslim tourist, since muslim travellers are spending USD 220 billion annually. For the start, at 2012, Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism introduced 12 provinces as halal tourism destinations and adopt some regulations to facilitate the implementation and activation of halal tourism , including West Sumatra. Halal tourism in West Sumatra already got recognition in form of achievements, such as The World Halal Tourism Award 2016 and Anugerah Wisata Halal Nasional 2016 from Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism. This study will explain how West Sumatra able to develop themselves as one of halal tourism destination in Indonesia. Concepts that will be used in this study are public policy and branding strategy.The research conducted with qualitative research. The result of this research is through public policy and branding in tourism effort, West Sumatra succesfully convince the tourist that the province is friendly toward muslim tourist through various rules and incentive toward shareholder that responsible to promote halal tourism effort. Also, as province that mostly populated by muslim, West Sumatra’s branding effort succesfully show that religion and culture able to go along together.
 Keyword: Halal Tourism, West Sumatra, Public Policy, Branding