Reviving Spiritual Travel in Crisis: Strategic Use of Social Media by Tourism Agencies to Rekindle Pilgrim Courage during COVID-19 in Indonesia

Abstract

This research investigates the social media-enabled strategies adopted by two spiritual tourism agencies in Indonesia amidst the COVID-19 crisis to sustain their business by rekindling traveller confidence. An intrinsic qualitative case study approach is employed involving interviews with seven key stakeholders. Thematic analysis reveals that the creative use of YouTube for virtual pilgrimage simulations and religious content generation enabled continuous traveller engagement. By disseminating personalized information and forming online travel communities, the agencies overcame lockdown limitations and revived enthusiasm for future tours. The findings offer timely insights for tourism managers to harness digital platforms’ affordances for crisis response, reputation management, and fostering traveller loyalty.