Exploring Tourist Sensory Experience of High Temperature and Sulfur Emissions at Geothermal Tourism of Sikidang Crater: A Blended Netnography Approach (1) Doni Sugianto Sihotang, (2) Agung Wahyu Handaru, (3) Rismawati, (4) Wong Chee Hoo, (5) Khairun Nisa, (6) Ichwan Muis
(1,2,5) Universitas Negeri Jakara, (3) Universitas Muhammadiyah Palopo, (4) INTI International University, (6) Universitas Cokroaminoto Palopo
Abstract
This study aims to explore tourists sensory experiences of heat and sulfur emissions at Kawah Sikidang in Dieng as a form of embodied geothermal tourism. The research is motivated by the increasing popularity of geothermal tourism, which offers unique multisensory experiences through direct interaction with active geothermal environments, yet there is still limited research on how tourists experience, interpret, and adapt to these extreme environments. Additionally, Embodied Experience Theory has limitations because it tends to focus on human experiences and has not extensively explored the agency of non-human environments in shaping tourism experiences. This study employs a qualitative approach with a blended netnography design that combines netnography and field research. Digital data were obtained from 1,724 Google Reviews, filtered using the keywords sulfur and geothermal, out of a total of 30,883 reviews. Field data were collected through direct observation, photographic documentation, and semi-structured interviews with 10 tourists at Kawah Sikidang using convenience sampling. Data analysis was conducted thematically through open coding, axial coding, selective coding, and source and method triangulation. The results reveal four main themes: multisensory geothermal immersion, negotiation between attraction and discomfort, adaptive tourist behavior in hazardous leisure spaces, and authenticity through environmental extremity. Tourists experience Kawah Sikidang through sensations of sulfur smell, geothermal heat, crater steam, and sensory discomfort, which simultaneously create immersion, emotional engagement, and experiential authenticity. This research contributes theoretically by expanding Embodied Experience Theory through the concept of human-environment co-embodiment in geothermal tourism, methodologically by using blended nethnography, and practically by developing geothermal tourism grounded in sensory experience, visitor safety, and sustainability
