SPs Theater Room UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS: The Graduate School of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta held the 2777th Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta, on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 with Anisa Jayanti candidates.

Muhammad Choirul Anam is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies study program with a concentration in Islamic Economics. Anam wrote a thesis entitled "Digitalization-Based Halal Tourism Business Strategy for Wali Sanga Pilgrimage"

This research specifically highlights the importance of repositioning the Wali Sanga pilgrimage tourism strategy to remain attractive to millennial Muslims and Gen Z generations who are familiar with technology.

This research departs from the belief that the integration of Islamic spiritual values with modern technology is not contradictory, but has the potential to strengthen the position of halal tourism in the global market. Anam argues that digitalization can be a catalyst for economic and cultural empowerment. The goal is to ensure that Wali Sanga pilgrimage tourism not only survives, but also thrives and is relevant amid the rapidly changing tourism landscape.

Through an explanatory descriptive qualitative method, this study seeks to explore, understand, and explain the process of transformation of Islamic spiritual-based business strategies in the era of digitalization of halal tourism for Wali Sanga pilgrimage. Anam uses the TOWS Matrix analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist in the management of halal tourism for the Wali Sanga pilgrimage. This approach allows for a comprehensive analysis of the various factors that affect the sustainability and growth of this tourism sector.

This thesis highlights how digital technology can open up wider market access for local halal tourism actors, ranging from MSME traders around the tomb, accommodation providers, to pilgrimage guides. With digital platforms, their products and services can be promoted more effectively, creating new revenue opportunities and reducing reliance on conventional marketing methods. This is in line with the vision of economic empowerment of local communities through innovation.

Furthermore, this research emphasizes the importance of developing strategic partnerships with Islamic financial institutions, local governments, and digital platforms. This collaboration is considered the key to building an inclusive and sustainable tourism ecosystem. Anam believes that tourism is not only an economic activity, but also a cultural da'wah vehicle that reflects the Islamic values of rahmatan lil 'alamin.

While digitalization offers many opportunities, this thesis also acknowledges the challenges that exist. This research explicitly integrates and analyzes the role of digitalization as a transformative instrument, an aspect that may not have been the main focus or studied in depth in previous conventional research. In the context of halal tourism studies, this thesis strengthens previous research (Lukman, 2022) with a focus on business strategies, not regulations, and specifically on digitalization-based Wali Sanga pilgrimages.

Overall, Muhammad Choirul Anam's research is based on the belief that collaboration between technology and the value of religiosity is an important foundation in addressing the challenges of the tourism industry of the future. This thesis makes a significant contribution to enriching the study of halal tourism, especially in the context of the Wali Sanga pilgrimage, and offers a roadmap for sustainable and relevant.

Muhammad Choirul Anam successfully defended his thesis under the guidance of Prof. Dr. M. Arief Mufraini, Lc., M.Si and Dr. Riris Aishah Prasetyowati, SE, MM, and tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Hamdani, M.Ag, Ph.D, Prof. Dr. M. Arief Mufraini, Lc., M.Si, Dr. Riris Aishah Prasetyowati, SE, MM, Prof. Nur Hidayah, S.Ag, SE, MA, MA, Ph.D and Dr. Mu'min Roup,  MA.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Muhammad Choirul Anam graduated with the title of Very Satisfactory. Muhammad Choirul Anam is the 2777th master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (JA)