Challenges of Halal Tourism During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Semarang City

Abstract

Halal tourism is tourism based on Islamic sharia values. As recommended by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), halal tourism places great emphasis on convenience, such as halal cuisine, worship facilities, and good management. The background of the existence of halal tourism is the number of Muslim tourists which has increased from year to year. Halal tourism aims to facilitate tourists to feel comfortable and still be able to fulfill their religious obligations, especially for Muslim. In its progress, the implementation of halal tourism has experienced ups and downs. Many challenges arise both from internal and external factors. There needs to be a significant improvement and development of this so that it can still exist even in difficult conditions, such as the Covid-19 pandemic which is still ongoing today. This research uses mixed methods, namely quantitative and qualitative method. Collecting data using observation techniques, interviews, and questionnaires. Data analysis used statistical analysis, by processing respondents' answers from questionnaires which distributed by online. The research results are many challenges that arise in the application of halal tourism in the city of Semarang.