FROM APPRECIATION TO DISSATISFACTION: EXPLAINING VISITOR EVALUATIONS THROUGH ONLINE REVIEWS OF A CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS HERITAGE DESTINATION

Sri Maryanti; Febrian Humaidi Sukmana; Nila Rahayu

doi:10.61397/mfc.v4i2.570

Authors

Sri Maryanti Universitas Mataram
Febrian Universitas Nahdlatul Wathan Mataram
Nila Rahayu Universitas Mataram

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61397/mfc.v4i2.570

Keywords:

online reviews; visitor experience; heritage destination management; netnography; electronic word of mouth; TripAdvisor

Abstract

Online reviews provide destination managers with unsolicited accounts of service encounters, place meanings, and perceived value. Yet aggregate ratings can conceal the mechanisms through which visitors move from appreciation to dissatisfaction, particularly at heritage destinations that combine sacred, historical, and recreational functions. This study examines visitor evaluations of Pura Agung (Taman) Narmada, Lombok, through 207 TripAdvisor reviews reported in the source manuscript. The study adopts an interpretive netnographic orientation and combines qualitative content analysis with inductive thematic analysis. The reported rating distribution comprises 35 five-star, 81 four-star, 75 three-star, 11 two-star, and five one-star reviews, with a reported mean rating of 3.6. Across rating groups, six interconnected dimensions structure visitor accounts: cultural, historical, and spiritual meaning; physical environment and aesthetics; supporting facilities and attractions; destination management and governance; social interaction and service; and emotional-evaluative responses. The synthesis indicates that heritage significance and landscape aesthetics function as core sources of appreciation, but they do not compensate consistently for weaknesses in maintenance, interpretation, service standardisation, pricing transparency, and the management of interactions. The article contributes to experience-oriented destination management by showing how intrinsic heritage value and operational delivery jointly shape online evaluations. For managers, the findings support an integrated approach that protects sacred meanings while improving cleanliness, interpretation, accessibility, service protocols, and the coherence of recreational facilities. The findings are interpretive and platform-specific; they should not be treated as representative estimates of all visitors.

Author Biography

Febrian, Universitas Nahdlatul Wathan Mataram

Program Studi Administrasi Bisnis, Universitas Nahdlatul Wathan Mataram

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