Development of Spiritual Tourism of Penglukatan at Tirta Empul Temple as A Balinese Cultural Heritage

Authors

  • Kadek Aditya Prasetya Putra Universitas Ngurah Rai
  • Nyoman Diah Utari Dewi Universitas Ngurah Rai
  • Ni Putu Tirka Widanti Universitas Ngurah Rai

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63309/dialektika.v24i1.950

Keywords:

Tirta Empul Temple, Tri Hita Karana, Overtourism

Abstract

Abstract Spiritual purification tourism (melukat) at Tirta Empul Temple has expanded rapidly, strengthening local livelihoods while generating overtourism pressures that threaten ritual sacredness, customary space, and environmental carrying capacity. This study aims to describe preservation dynamics, economic effects, and visitor-governance challenges, and to derive policy-relevant recommendations. Theoretical framing draws on spiritual–cultural tourism, the Tri Hita Karana value system, and destination governance and carrying-capacity perspectives. A descriptive qualitative design was employed, combining two weeks of participant observation, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 purposively selected key informants, and document analysis of regional regulations and levy records. Data were analysed iteratively using Miles and Huberman’s procedures (reduction, display, conclusion drawing), supported by source/method triangulation and member checking. Findings indicate a trade-off between ritual authenticity and market-driven commodification, alongside SMEs’ dependence on visitor flows. The study proposes a zoning framework and SWOT-based strategy, including time-slot digital quotas, strengthened ritual etiquette SOPs, and conservation-oriented revenue allocation.

Keywords: Tirta Empul Temple, Tri Hita Karana, Overtourism

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aryani, Ni Putu, & Tanuwidjaja, Gunawan. (2013). Sustainable architectural design in a traditional Balinese housing in accordance to the concept of Tri Mandala. Journal of Architecture & Environment, 12(2), 113–124. https://doi.org/10.12962/j2355262x.v12i2.a561

Atmaja, N. B. (2008). Ideologi Tri Hita Karana - Neoliberalisme = Vilanisasi Radius Suci Pura (Perspektif Kajian Budaya). Denpasar: Fakultas Sastra Universitas Udayana.

Crespo-Almendros, E., Prados-Peña, M. B., Porcu, L., & Alcántara Pilar, J. M. (2023). Building heritage brand equity through social media sales promotion: The role of Power Distance. International Journal of Tourism Research, 25(3), 305–317. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2569

Fathiarani, S. K., & Mihardja, E. J. (2024). Hindu spiritual tourism branding: The AKIELS analysis of the self-healing program through the Melukat ritual at Tirta Empul Temple, Bali. Jobmark: Journal of Branding and Marketing Communication, 6(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.36782/jobmark.v1i2.282

Jendra, I. W., Suryasa, W., & Sutrisni, N. K. E. (2023). Self-healing through melukat ritual in Bali: A discourse study. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v10i3.4548

Karmini, N. W. (2020). Objek Wisata Pura Tirta Empul sebagai Media Pendidikan Multikultural. Ganaya: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora, 3(1).

Kasemsarn, K., & Nickpour, F. (2025). An exploratory study of social media storytelling framework for cultural heritage tourism among youth. Heritage, 8(9), 395. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8090395

Koens, Ko, Postma, Albert, & Papp, Birgit. (2018). Is overtourism overused? Understanding the impact of tourism in a city context. Sustainability, 10(12), 4384. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124384

Kusuma, I Gusti Bagus Wijaya. (2003). Building orientation on traditional Balinese culture. Humaniora, 15(1), 62–73. https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/11804-ID-building-orientation-on-traditional-balinese-culture.pdf

Maharani, N. P. D. T. (2023). Pengembangan Wisata Spiritual Penglukatan di Pura Tirta Empul. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen dan Bisnis, 8(1), 32-42.

Octaviyani, P. E., Antara, M., & Suryawardani, I. G. A. O. (2022). Balinese purification (Melukat) ritual: Motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty of visitors. International Journal of Applied Research in Tourism and Hospitality, 1(2), 145–155. https://doi.org/10.52352/ijarthy.v1i2.813

O’Reilly, A. M.. (1986). Tourism carrying capacity: Concept and issues. Tourism Management, 7(4), 254–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-5177(86)90035-X

Pahor Zvanut, A., & Zabukovec Baruca, P. (2025). Social media marketing strategy in the tourism industry: A systematic literature review. Tourism Planning & Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2025.2549069

Peraturan Daerah Provinsi Bali Nomor 2 Tahun 2012 tentang Pariwisata Budaya.

Prados-Peña, M. B., Porcu, L., Crespo-Almendros, E., & Alcántara-Pilar, J. M. (2022). How online sales promotions via social networks affect the brand equity of a heritage destination. Heritage, 5(3), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5030133

Roth, Dik, & Sedana, Gede. (2015). Reframing Tri Hita Karana: From “Balinese culture” to politics. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 16(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/14442213.2014.994674

Setiawan, I. K. (2011). Komodifikasi Pusaka Budaya Pura Tirta Empul dalam Konteks Pariwisata Global. Jurnal Kajian Budaya, Program Pascasarjana Universitas Udayana.

Shen, C. (2025). Social media marketing and digital influence for visitor flow management in sustainable heritage tourism. Scientific Reports, 15, 45767. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-28555-9

Suyadnya, I. W. (2025). Overtourism sensitivity and tourism development in Canggu, Bali. Cogent Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2025.2521364

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2012). Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: The Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy (World Heritage List No. 1194). https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1194/

Wibawa, I. M. A., et al. (2025). Pentahelix model and Tri Hita Karana for Bali sustainable tourism management. Tourism and Hospitality Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584251340046

Wilson, E., et al. (2021). Qualitative research for tourism. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486.qualitative.research.for

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality (CELTH), NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences, & NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. (2018). ‘Overtourism’? Understanding and managing urban tourism growth beyond perceptions (Executive Summary). https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284420070

Yansani, C. F. (2024). Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pengembangan Daya Tarik Wisata Pura Tirta Empul. Jurnal Pariwisata Berkelanjutan.

Zhang, K., Sun, X., & Li, G. (2025). Virtual influencer and cultural heritage destination: Endorsement effectiveness of virtual versus human influencers. Annals of Tourism Research, 110, 103873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103873

Downloads

Published

30-04-2026

How to Cite

Kadek Aditya Prasetya Putra, Nyoman Diah Utari Dewi, & Ni Putu Tirka Widanti. (2026). Development of Spiritual Tourism of Penglukatan at Tirta Empul Temple as A Balinese Cultural Heritage. Jurnal Dialektika: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, 24(1), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.63309/dialektika.v24i1.950

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 1 (2026): Jurnal Dialektika: Jurnal Ilmu sosial

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Dialektika: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 > >>