New Online Service Attracts Tech-Savvy Muslims With Trusted Umrah Packages
Jakarta. Umrohnesia, a new online travel marketplace launched in Jakarta on Thursday (27/09), aims to provide a reliable alternative to the growing number of modern, tech-savvy people in the world's largest Muslim-majority country seeking to perform umrah, or the minor pilgrimage every year.
"We want to be the kind of platform where pilgrims can get the best umrah package that suits their personal preferences," Umrohnesia chief executive Kunto Purbono said during the launch.
The user-friendly website not only provides would-be pilgrims with a selection of umrah packages from accredited travel agencies, but also their respective track records, including customer reviews.
Kunto said the idea for Umrohnesia came after last year's massive umrah scam involving travel agency First Travel, which fleeced around Rp 848 billion ($56.9 million) from more than 58,000 would-be pilgrims.
The case resulted in tighter supervision by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which saw several operators losing their licenses. There are currently 897 umrah tour operators accredited by the ministry.
Umrohnesia seeks to reassure potential pilgrims who are now wary of doing business with umrah tour operators following the highly publicized case.
The company only partners with operators accredited by the ministry and uses Midtrans, an online payment gateway trusted by several prominent businesses in the country, including Tokopedia, Traveloka and Blibli.com.
More than 875,000 Indonesians performed umrah last year, 25 percent more than in 2016, according to data compiled by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. This makes Indonesian the country with the second-largest number of annual umrah pilgrims.
The increasing popularity of umrah, an optional pilgrimage that can be performed throughout the year, is mainly driven by a long waiting list for the hajj. Indonesia's hajj quota, set by the Saudi government, is only 221,000 pilgrims for this year.
The quota is relatively small, considering that Indonesia had a Muslim population of more than 228 million last year, according to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data.
Cholil Nafis, chairman of the preaching commission at the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), pointed to Umrohnesia's economic potential, saying that the minor pilgrimage is not merely recreational, but also a form of worship.
Cholil said the internet must be filled with positive content as technology continues to become an inseparable part of life.
"Umrohnesia, as a platform for fair business practices, is something we must support together… We must develop and strengthen together, because umrah is a Muslim business," Cholil said.
The service currently features 175 umrah packages and aims to partner with 30 travel agencies by the end of October.
It hopes to expand its partnerships with financial institutions and provide loans to would-be umrah pilgrims.
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