Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 570 Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities (ICEBSH 2021) Optimizing the Potential Strategy of West Sumatra Tourism Destinations Towards the Leading Halal Tourism Destinations in Indonesia Yenita Yenita1* Lamto Widodo2 1Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia 2Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Tourism makes a significant contribution to the Indonesian economy. West Sumatra has a great potential to get investors to develop its tourism, because it has a beautiful nature coupled with its diverse and unique culture. Although several awards have been won by West Sumatra, West Sumatra has not been able to reflect a "decent" class in terms of infrastructure readiness, management, supporting facilities, and low awareness of community tourism culture. The purpose of this research is to formulate a strategy for halal tourism in West Sumatra in order to build a positioning to increase the competitiveness of halal tourism in Indonesia. This research is a qualitative descriptive study using secondary data from scientific journals, previous research, and publications. Primary data collection techniques were obtained by means of in-depth interviews with semi- structured methods and non-participatory observation techniques. In order to build a positioning to improve the competitiveness of halal tourism in Indonesia, the implementation of halal tourism marketing strategies that can be done is DOT (Destination, Origin, Time), BAS (Branding, Advertising, Selling), POSE (Paid Media, Owned Media, Social Media, Endorse). Meanwhile, the strategy for developing human resources for halal tourism is to create sustainable and competitive human resources, distribute tourism scholars, and create qualified and trained human resources. In addition, the strategy of making West Sumatra as Indonesia's leading halal tourist destination is to increase public awareness to be involved in sustainable development tourism programs, add and improve tourism support facilities, promotion through digital media, and increase halal tourism certification. Based on the results of the study, recommendations were obtained on how to manage halal tourism in West Sumatra to become Indonesia's leading destination. Keywords: Strategy, halal tourism, West Sumatra, halal destination, Indonesia 1. INTRODUCTION Sharia tourism is an activity that is supported by various facilities and services provided by the community, Tourism makes a significant contribution to the Indonesian businessmen, government and local governments in economy. The impact of tourism is not only on Gross accordance with sharia provisions [3]. Halal tourism is not Domestic Product (GDP), but also creates added value, always related to religious values, but rather leads to a absorbs labor, and increases the country's foreign lifestyle. The condition of halal tourism in Indonesia is exchange. The development of halal tourism has begun to still not optimal, even though the potential for developing be carried out by various countries, both Muslim and non- halal tourism in Indonesia is very large [3]. Only a small Muslim countries, and this is in line with the increase in proportion of the target population stated that they Muslim tourists from year to year [1]. Halal tourism understood the concept of halal tourism and had received contributes to sustainable development and explore the special training on it, but Indonesia had to take a firm scope of halal tourism to contribute more in relation to position in positioning itself as a halal tourist destination sustainable development [2]. Indonesia, which is because the religious profile is the most influential factor predominantly Muslim and supported by natural resources, [4]. Following are figures and predictions of size and has great potential to become a major player in the world's projected population growth based on majority religious halal tourism sector. This advantage should be used as a groups in 2010-2050 [5]. momentum in developing halal tourism in Indonesia. Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 1371 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 570 Table 1 The future of world religions: population growth projections 2010-2050 [5] Religion 2010 % of World Projected 2050 % of World Population Growth Population Population in Population Population in 2010-2050 2010 2050 Christian 2.168.330.000 31.4 2.918.070.000 31.4 749.740.000 Moslems 1.599.700.000 23.2 2.761.480.000 29.7 1.161.780.000 Unaffiliated 1.131.150.000 16.4 1.230.340.000 13.2 99.190.000 Hindus 1.032.210.000 15.0 1.384.360.000 14.9 352.140.000 Buddhists 487.760.000 7.1 486.270.000 5.2 -1.490.000 Folk Religions 404.690.000 5.9 449.140.000 4.8 44.450.000 Other Religions 58.150.000 0.8 61.450.000 0.7 3.300.000 Jews 13.860.000 0.2 16.090.000 0.2 2.230.000 World Total 6.895.850.000 100 9.307.190.000 100 2.411.340.000 2. BACKGROUND in West Sumatra in order to build a positioning to increase the competitiveness of halal tourism in Indonesia. One of the potential halal tourist destinations is West Sumatra. West Sumatra has a great potential to get 3. METHODS investors to develop its tourism, because it has a beautiful nature coupled with its diverse and unique culture. This research is a qualitative descriptive study using a case According to the West Sumatra Provincial Government, study approach with data collection in accordance with the the proudest economic sector is tourism, which if its research focus, namely the strategy of West Sumatra to potential is explored, it can become the motor of the become Indonesia's leading halal destination. A literature regional economy so as to improve the welfare of the study will be carried out to examine how the halal tourism people of West Sumatra. However, currently West strategy in West Sumatra is in order to build a position to Sumatra is considered not ready to compete in terms of increase the competitiveness of halal tourism in Indonesia. tourism because it is still constrained by many factors. To Primary data collection techniques were obtained by overcome this, there are several things that must be means of in-depth interviews with semi-structured considered and improved, such as the segmentation methods and non-participatory observation techniques. strategy, tourism targets, and the positioning of West The criteria for research subjects are to understand well Sumatra tourism [6]. and be involved in implementing the strategy of West According to Google Indonesia data based on the Google Sumatra to become Indonesia's leading halal tourist Search engine, ticket searches to West Sumatra in 2017 destination for at least three years. The informants in ranked first and continues to increase every month. This question are the Head of the Organization Section, the indicates that West Sumatra tourism is getting better so it Head of the Public Relations Section, and the Head of the deserves to be Indonesia's leading halal destination [7]. A Information Media and Documentation Section of the number of destinations in West Sumatra that are West Sumatra Tourism Office. Meanwhile, secondary data designated as halal tourist destinations are Lake Singkarak, is obtained through documents, proposals, reports, Lake Maninjau, Twin Lakes, Sianok Gorge, Gua Jepang, publications, books, scientific journals, and previous Cubadak Island, Anai Valley, Istano Pagaruyuang, and the research relevant to this research in the last five years. Mentawai Islands. In 2016, Indonesia won 12 categories in Qualitative data analysis in this study used an interactive the World Halal Tourism Awards 2016, West Sumatra model where the data analysis components included became one of the regions that won three categories, reduction, data presentation, and interactive verification namely: World’s Best Halal Tour Operator, World’s Best during data collection [9]. Then the discussion will further Halal Destination, and World’s Best Halal Culinary explore the development of halal tourism in West Sumatra, Destination. [3] examine the concept of halal tourism, discuss Although several awards have been won by West Sumatra, opportunities and challenges, as well as how to have the West Sumatra has not been able to reflect a "decent" class right marketing and human resources strategies so that in terms of infrastructure readiness, management, halal tourism in West Sumatra becomes a leading halal supporting facilities, and low awareness of community destination in Indonesia. tourism culture. Various attempts have been made to build a better West Sumatra tourism sector, but the realization plan tends to be slow because the problems and challenges 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS of the local socio-culture tend to be closed to protect their customs from outside influences. [8] 4.1 Constraints to the Implementation of Halal To make West Sumatra a halal tourist destination, it Tourism in Indonesia requires the readiness of resources who have the ability and in-depth knowledge about halal tourism. The purpose The majority of Indonesians embrace Islam. Halal is of this research is to formulate a strategy for halal tourism anything that is free from prohibitions and has been 1372 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 570 permitted by Islamic law [10]. Meanwhile, halal is a 4.2 The Implementation of Halal Tourism concept of Islamic religious principles which is used to Marketing Strategy state that something can be consumed based on the Al- Qur'an, hadith, or ijtihad (ulama agreement) [11]. There Halal tourism marketing strategies that can be done are as are three obstacles facing Indonesia in developing halal follows: tourism [12], namely: (1) Public Perception.