Integrating Intercultural Communication and Religious Tourism: A Phenomenology Study of Cultural Worship at Loang Baloq Tomb, Indonesia

What the paper says

This study explores the lived experiences of religious tourism and intercultural communication at the Loang Baloq Tomb in West Lombok, Indonesia—a sacred site where spiritual pilgrimage and local cultural practices converge. Using a phenomenological approach, the research investigates how visitors, caretakers, and community members interact, perform rituals, and make meaning within a shared sacred environment. Drawing on interviews with 25 participants and field observations, the study identifies key motivations for visitation, such as spiritual healing, cultural curiosity, and ancestral reverence. It also uncovers the dynamics of intercultural encounters, including hospitality, symbolic interpretation, and negotiation of meaning across linguistic and cultural differences. The findings reveal that ritual acts at Loang Baloq function as a form of communication, fostering shared understanding despite diverse cultural backgrounds. Local communities play a central role in shaping visitor experiences, preserving spiritual values, and mediating tensions between tradition and tourism. This research contributes to both religious tourism and intercultural communication scholarship by illustrating how sacred spaces can become platforms for cultural exchange and relational meaning-making. Practical implications include recommendations for community-based tourism management that honor local wisdom and enhance intercultural sensitivity. The study concludes by suggesting avenues for future research, including digital religious tourism and comparative studies across sacred sites in the Indonesian archipelago.