Digital Travel Writing as a Literacy Strategy for Promoting Regional Religious Tourism Potential on Instagram
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28918/manjadda.v1i1.14906Abstract
This study examines digital travel writing as a literacy-based strategy in managing the promotion of regional religious tourism on Instagram. Existing research on digital tourism has largely emphasized marketing performance indicators and engagement metrics, while narrative construction and literacy practices in religious tourism communication remain underexplored. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach by analyzing four Instagram posts promoting the tomb of Syekh Maulana Maghribi in Wonobodro and Ujungnegoro, Batang Regency, Central Java. Data were collected through documentation and purposive sampling and analyzed using content analysis to identify narrative patterns and promotional functions. The findings reveal four principal narrative characteristics: the construction of sacred space, the framing of religious experience, the development of authenticity and symbolic legitimacy, and the production of cultural meaning. These findings affirm that digital travel writing constitutes a multimodal literacy practice that integrates textual, visual, and symbolic elements in shaping destination identity. Functionally, the narratives contribute to destination positioning, audience engagement, visit intention formation, institutional legitimacy strengthening, and cultural preservation. The study concludes that Instagram-based religious tourism promotion represents a form of tourism management that leverages digital literacy to support regional tourism development.
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