Tourist Attraction Shaping Visit Intention in Religious Heritage Tourism: Evidence from Jakarta Cathedral Museum

Abstract

Religious heritage tourism has become an increasingly important tourism segment because it integrates historical, cultural, educational, and spiritual values into meaningful visitor experiences. However, empirical studies examining the influence of tourist attraction on visit intention within religious heritage museums remain limited, particularly in the Indonesian context. This study aims to examine the role of Tourist Attraction in shaping Visit Intention at Jakarta Cathedral Museum as a Religious Heritage Tourism destination. A quantitative research approach was employed using a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 100 visitors selected through simple random sampling using structured questionnaires measured on a five-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, including descriptive statistics, validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, simple linear regression, t-test, and coefficient of determination (R²). The findings reveal that Tourist Attraction has a positive and statistically significant effect on Visit Intention (β = 0.550; t = 8.211; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (R² = 0.408) indicates that Tourist Attraction explains 40.8% of the variance in Visit Intention, while the remaining 59.2% is influenced by other factors not examined in this study. These findings demonstrate that historical authenticity, educational value, cultural heritage, and religious significance collectively strengthen visitors’ intention to visit Jakarta Cathedral Museum. This study contributes to the growing literature on Religious Heritage Tourism by providing empirical evidence regarding the relationship between Tourist Attraction and Visit Intention in museum-based religious heritage destinations. The findings also offer practical implications for museum managers in enhancing destination attractiveness through improved visitor experiences, educational interpretation, and sustainable heritage tourism management