Revealing Tourist Satisfaction and Its Influencing Dimensions—The Context of IKN Destination

Abstract

The new National Capital City/Ibu Kota Negara (IKN), named “Nusantara,” is part of Indonesia's strategy to reduce developmental inequality across various sectors. The relocation of the IKN from Jakarta to Nusantara signifies not only an administrative transition but also a governmental initiative aimed at fostering a sustainable tourism sector. Concurrently, the government is positioning tourist destinations in IKN as national icons. This study specifically aims to explore two things. First, it examines the causal among infrastructure quality, promotion and marketing, government policy, and safety and comfort in relation to tourist satisfaction. Second, it investigates how the interaction between these dimensions, along with the perception of local culture and social media, influences tourist satisfaction. In 2024, a total of 72,108 tourists visited IKN destinations, and 382 of them were surveyed using a questionnaire. Technically, offline structured surveys are conducted using a predetermined set of questions presented in the form of a questionnaire. The data collected from the questionnaire were processed using Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The authors identified the following four points: (1) infrastructure quality has a negative-not significant impact on tourist satisfaction; (2) promotion and marketing, government policy, and safety and comfort have a positive-significant impact on tourist satisfaction; (3) infrastructure quality, when moderated by perception of local culture and social media, has a negative-not significant impact on tourist satisfaction; and (4) promotion and marketing, government policy, and safety and comfort, when moderated by perception of local culture and social media, have a positive-significant impact on tourist satisfaction. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable academic insights and practical policy recommendations for the future.