Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, officially launched the Road to World Islamic Entrepreneurship Summit (WIES 2025) at the Syekh Ahmad Khatib Al Minangkabawi Grand Mosque in West Sumatra. He hopes this event will be a pivotal moment for the development of halal entrepreneurship in Indonesia, particularly in the tourism and creative economy sectors. "WIES, first held in 2023, serves as a platform that brings together Muslim entrepreneurs from 24 countries worldwide to exchange information, open business opportunities, gain insights, and create new jobs," he said on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Additionally, this event is an ideal moment to strengthen the image of West Sumatra as a key hub for the development of the global halal entrepreneurship ecosystem. "Why Padang City and West Sumatra? Because we have seen how West Sumatra, especially Padang City, has become a benchmark for global Muslim entrepreneurship. Many businessmen from West Sumatra have dominated various business sectors," Sandiaga explained.
Indonesia's tourism and creative economy sectors continue to show improvement. In the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) by the World Economic Forum, Indonesia ranks 22nd globally, surpassing countries like Belgium, New Zealand, and Turkey. Furthermore, Indonesia was awarded the Top Muslim Friendly Destination of the Year 2023 in the Mastercard Crescentrating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). "We will use this momentum to promote WIES 2025 in Southeast Asia and the Middle East," said Sandiaga. Sandiaga also expressed his hopes that WIES 2025, scheduled for mid-next year, will exceed its targets. "I will continue to support WIES 2025 to provide leadership in global Islamic entrepreneurship, and we hope that WIES 2025 will attract five times more visitors, reaching 50,000 attendees, with a significant increase in participating countries," Sandiaga stated.
