The official results of the fifth edition of the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2026 confirm that Jawa Barat (West Java) has retained its position as the country's leading Muslim-friendly destination. Released at the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF) in Jakarta, the index evaluates provincial preparedness across Indonesia's visitor economy as the nation builds on its global standing—currently sharing the #2 spot globally in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2026.
A joint research initiative between the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, Bank Indonesia (BI), CrescentRating, and the Enhaii Halal Tourism Center (EHTC) – NHI Bandung Tourism Polytechnic, the IMTI 2026 assesses regional performance to translate tourism strategies into tangible provincial improvements.
About IMTI and the ACES Model: How Provinces Are Assessed
The Indonesia Muslim Travel Index adapts the internationally recognized ACES model to evaluate provincial ecosystems. The 2026 edition expanded its analytical depth by taking into consideration 62 datasets across four core dimensions:
Access (10%): Measures physical accessibility and mobility, analyzing flight route networks, road quality, rail systems, seaports, public transportation, and e-hailing coverage.
Communication (20%): Evaluates destination marketing effectiveness, stakeholder education workshops, multi-language tour guide availability, and dedicated Muslim visitor resources.
Environment (30%): Evaluates overall destination atmosphere, safety, basic utilities (water, sanitation, electricity, internet), regional tourism organization involvement, climate resilience, and emerging adoption of Smart Tourism and AI.
Services (40%): The heaviest-weighted pillar, tracking access to certified Halal dining, clean and accessible prayer rooms (musholla), faith-friendly hotel amenities, airport facilities, attractions, and cultural heritage preservation.
Data is collected directly through provincial inputs, verified with national databases (such as BPS, BPJPH, and the Ministry of Transportation), and audited through on-ground site visits across all participating destinations.
Ranking 15 Key Provinces Across Indonesia
The 2026 study evaluated 15 provinces representing primary gateway hubs, major cultural centers, and emerging tourism destinations. Across the recurring provinces assessed in both 2025 and 2026, average scores increased by 4.8%, led by widespread improvements in core faith-based services.
1. Jawa Barat | Rank 1
Jawa Barat successfully retained its position as Indonesia’s top-ranked province for the second consecutive year. The province’s performance was a byproduct of strong results in both Communication and Services pillars, driven largely by the institutionalization of the Smiling West Java Muslim-Friendly Tourism (SWJ-MFT) program, which provides a structured model for regional marketing and stakeholder engagement.
2. Jawa Tengah | Rank 2
Jawa Tengah achieved one of the most significant leaps on the leaderboard, climbing three places from fifth in 2025 to second overall in 2026. Its score increase (+6.3 points) was driven by an active provincial commitment to Halal tourism development, educational workshops, and religious tourism promotion under the 136 Program Jateng.
3. Nusa Tenggara Barat | Rank 3
Consistently ranked in the top three since IMTI’s inception in 2018, NTB solidified its standing with an improved score of 70.1. The province displayed unmatched national leadership in destination branding and ecosystem balance, maintaining its status as an example destination for faith-conscious leisure.
Download our report here to see the full rankings!
The #1 Rankings for Each Pillar
The 2026 assessment revealed distinct provincial specializations, with different regions leading each of the four ACES criteria:
Best Access Performance: DKI Jakarta
Retaining first place in Access for the fifth consecutive index edition, the capital city leads with superior international and domestic flight connectivity, comprehensive public transport integration, and extensive e-hailing coverage.
Best Communication Performance: Nusa Tenggara Barat
NTB climbed to first place in Communication with a 24.6% year-on-year pillar increase, supported by high-performing market outreach campaigns, visitor guides, and trained guides across multiple foreign languages.
Best Environment Performance: Nusa Tenggara Barat
NTB also swept top honors in Environment, narrowly edging out Jawa Barat and Jawa Tengah through consistent sustainability initiatives, strong regional tourism coordination, and reliable public infrastructure.
Best Service Performance: Jawa Tengah
Leading a highly competitive category ahead of Aceh and Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah took top honors by expanding Halal-certified culinary establishments, improving musholla upkeep, and preserving Islamic cultural heritage sites.
Overall ACES Recommendations for National & Provincial Stakeholders
The report translates these diagnostic scores into actionable recommendations across the four ACES pillars to guide policymakers and commercial operators:
Access Directives: Strengthen regional air links to reduce single-gateway bottlenecks, coordinate with airlines to ease fare pressures, and upgrade connectivity between airports, railway hubs, and secondary tourist attractions.
Communication Directives: Expand multi-lingual Muslim visitor guides in digital and physical formats, maintain continuous social and digital promotional campaigns, and develop educational workshops for local industry operators.
Environment Directives: Accelerate smart tourism and AI adoption (such as integrating verified data with platforms like MaiA), reinforce disaster-risk mitigation protocols for visitor safety, and improve collaboration between local tourism boards and Halal tourism experts.
Services Directives: Enforce visible display of Halal certificate credentials and registration numbers in restaurants and hotel dining rooms, implement scheduled hygiene audits for ablution and prayer facilities, and provide faith-friendly in-room amenities (such as accurate Qiblah directions and prayer mats) across commercial accommodations.
To see the more detailed recommendations, read the report here!
Developing Indonesia’s Muslim-Friendly Destination Competitiveness
The results of IMTI 2026 demonstrate that destination competitiveness requires more than general hospitality; it demands verified standards, integrated transit, and clear communication. With West Java sustaining its top position and provinces across Java, Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara, and Kalimantan making measurable strides, the index provides an actionable blueprint to help every region welcome Muslim travelers with certified trust.
Download the Full Report:
Access individual provincial scorecards, sub-indicator analyses, and tailored development roadmaps by reading the complete Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2026 Report here.
