Pengaruh Media Sosial terhadap Kunjungan Wisatawan dalam Mendukung Digitalisasi Pariwisata pada Objek Wisata Religi Buntu Burake

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of social media on tourists’ decisions to visit the Buntu Burake Religious Tourism Attraction. The development of digital communication has significantly changed the way tourists search for, obtain, and share information about tourism destinations. Social media has become an important promotional platform because it enables tourism managers to disseminate destination-related information through visual content, reviews, recommendations, and interactions with potential visitors. In this context, the use of social media is considered relevant to increasing tourists’ awareness and encouraging their intention to visit religious tourism destinations such as Buntu Burake. This research employed a quantitative approach to determine the relationship between social media utilization and tourists’ visiting decisions. Data were collected through documentation, direct observation, and questionnaires distributed to tourists who had visited the Buntu Burake Religious Tourism Attraction. The population of this study consisted of tourists visiting the destination, while the sample comprised 100 respondents selected as research participants. The collected data were analyzed using a simple linear regression test to determine the extent to which social media influences tourists’ decisions to visit the destination. The results of the partial hypothesis testing using the t-test indicate that social media has a significant influence on tourists’ visiting decisions at the Buntu Burake Religious Tourism Attraction. These findings suggest that the utilization of social media can play an important role in supporting tourism promotion and influencing tourists’ behavioral decisions. Therefore, tourism managers are encouraged to optimize social media platforms by providing informative, attractive, and relevant content about the destination, including its religious significance, tourism facilities, accessibility, and visitor experiences. Effective social media management is expected to strengthen destination visibility, increase tourists’ interest, and support the sustainable development of Buntu Burake as a religious tourism destination.