Halal Tourism Destination, Cheria Holiday Invites Indonesian Tourists To Australia

JAKARTA - Australia is increasingly serious about developing Muslim-friendly tourist destinations or halal tourism to attract global tourists, including from Indonesia. Various big cities in the Land of Kangaroo are now restoring places of worship and increasing halal-certified restaurants as part of a tourism strategy. This step is supported by Tourism Australia, which launched a consortium of official travel agents, including Cheria Holiday as one of its main partners.

This consortium offers a variety of halal tour packages and Muslim-friendly travel plans in a number of Australia's favorite destinations. According to a Travel Daily Media report, Australia recorded a visit of 213,000 Indonesian tourists in 2023, with total spending reaching A$1.1 billion, an increase of 26% compared to 2019.

The 2021 census shows that 3.2% of Australia's population, or about 813,392 people, are Muslims. This figure jumped from 1.7% in 2016, making Islam Australia's second-largest religion.

Indonesia, Main Market For Australian Tourism

Agitya Nuraini, Country Manager of Tourism Australia for Indonesia, called Indonesia one of the five main markets for post-pandemic recovery.

Indonesian tourists are a big segment for us. About 80% of Indonesia's middle class is Muslim, with high discresioner income. They have great interest in exploring Australia's authentic culture," said Agitya.

Several leading destinations that are popular among Indonesian tourists include:

Strengthen Halal Tourism To Australia

Cheriatna, CEO of Cheria Holiday, welcomed this collaboration and is optimistic that it will bring thousands of Indonesian tourists to Australia.

"Australia is now increasingly serious about presenting Muslim-friendly destinations. The number of halal-certified mosques and restaurants continues to grow. This makes Muslim tourists feel comfortable, because their worship needs are still met during the holidays," said Cheriatna at a press conference at Twink Building, South Jakarta.

Since its establishment in 2012, Cheria Holiday has continued to expand its halal tourism expansion to various countries, including Australia.

"Alhamdulillah, this is part of our Business to Government (B2G) innovation. With the post-pandemic economic recovery, we are sure that more and more Indonesians want to enjoy halal tourism to Australia," added Cheriatna.

In collaboration with Tourism Australia, Cheria Holiday further confirmed her position as a pioneer of halal tourism for Indonesian tourists.