Poor. Malang State University (UM) students won 3rd place in the 2020 IEC (Islamic Essay Competitions). IEC 2020 is a competition organized by the Islamic Economic Study Group (KSEI) of the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Salatiga on Friday (22 / 7). In the competition, the UM team presented a work entitled "Development of a Blockchain-Based Virtual Halal Tourism (Valhallam) Platform as a Solution for Tourism in the Middle of a Pandemic".

The competition with the theme "The Role of Millennial Muslims in the Development of the National Halal Industry" departs from the urgency of the halal industry to achieve Indonesia's vision as the world's leading Islamic economic center, namely strengthening the halal value chain (halal value chain). Inside there are a number of industries related to the needs of the Muslim community which are divided into clusters of halal food and beverages, halal tourism, Muslim fashion, halal media and recreation, halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and renewable energy.

In this case, UM students namely Afis Baghiz Syafruddin (S1 Chemistry Education), Ananta Ardyansyah (S1 Chemistry Education), and Siti Nuradilla (S1 Mathematics) contributed to creating opportunities in the era of industrial revolution 4.0 in building a digital ecosystem in facing these conditions. The Head of the Valhallam Team, Afis Baghiz Syafruddin, explained that the works brought to the competition departed from their existence physical distancing resulting in changes in the structure of society, one of which is the obstruction of various industries in the country. "According to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry, 60% industries in Indonesia are paralyzed due to Covid-19. In this case, tourism is the industry most affected by the pandemic, ”he said.

On the other hand, consumers in the tourism industry are experiencing burnout due to work from home (WFH) activities. Various activities must be carried out online as a manifestation physical distancing. Therefore, we need a forum that can bring together tourism industry consumers and tourism providers without eliminating the Covid-19 protocol.

"Virtual Halal Tourism can be a solution to this problem by providing integrated tourism services for the community. This service does not only provide recreational services, but also carries the concept of halal tourism  and content in accordance with the teachings of Islam, "he added.

Reporter: Siti Nuradilla - UM Public Relations Internship