Visual Dominance in Digital Tourism Narratives: The Construction of Destination Image in Gua Kristal, Kupang

Abstract

The dominance of visual content on social media has transformed how tourism destinations are produced and understood in digital environments. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok no longer function solely as information channels but actively shape narratives through a visual logic that prioritizes appeal, immediacy, and ease of consumption. Crystal Cave in Kupang illustrates how local destinations gain visibility through repetitive visual patterns that gradually standardize representation. These patterns expand reach while privileging viral aesthetics and sidelining social and contextual complexity. This study analyzes how visual dominance shapes digital tourism narratives and influences destination image construction. Using a qualitative approach, the study examines 80 public posts on Instagram and TikTok published between January and December 2025. Data were selected through purposive sampling based on engagement, relevance, and visual clarity. Analysis focuses on visual framing, captions, hashtags, and audience interaction, employing thematic and narrative coding informed by narrative paradigm theory, destination image theory, and simulation within hyperreality studies. Findings indicate that immersive visual representations produce simplified and standardized portrayals of destinations. Repetitive patterns drive homogenized imagery, while local context and social dimensions become increasingly marginal. Algorithmic reinforcement amplifies these dominant patterns, shaping expectations that often diverge from lived experience. As a result, digital representations function not merely as reflections but as active forces that construct how destinations are perceived.