The Safety Paradox of Digitalized Wilderness Among Novice Travelers in Indonesian National Parks
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to explicitly investigate the complex interplay between User-Generated Content (UGC) exposure, Travel FOMO, risk mitigation, and post-trip behavioral outcomes among novice national park visitors. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative design and purposive sampling, this research analyzed 601 novice travelers (Generation Z and Millennials) visiting Indonesian national parks. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that UGC triggers both FOMO and Risk Mitigation Behavior (RMB). However, FOMO fails to drive rational preparedness. A Safety Paradox is confirmed: mitigation efforts intensify perceived trail difficulty, which paradoxically enhances mindfulness and Nature Connectedness. This process ultimately drives Experiential Satisfaction, Environmental Stewardship, and e-WOM advocacy. This study extends Protection Motivation Theory by identifying a digital affective bias in which social anxiety overrides objective safety. It further enriches the Adventure Experience Paradigm by proving that logistical preparedness effectively shatters the illusion of ease perpetuated by social media.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Ali, F., McKenna, B., Thatcher, J. B., Wu, C., & Alotaibi, S. (2026). Why disclose? Understanding users' self-disclosure on hospitality and tourism social networking sites. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 134, 104570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2026.104570
Ban, J., Kim, J., Prideaux, B., Kuik, S., & Singh, K. (2026). Understanding visit intentions in eco-lodges: The role of eco-service quality within the stimulus–organism–response framework. Journal of Vacation Marketing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667251413344
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
Brennan, B. S., Kessler, D., Luo, Y., & Bae, K. M. (2026). Sustaining the Modern Pilgrimage: Governance, Community Impacts, and Environmental Challenges on Korea's Jeju Olle Trail. Sustainability, 18(3), 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031540
Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-Translation for Cross-Cultural Research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/135910457000100301
Brown, C. L., Heddy, B. C., Gill, K. S., Gowell, J., & Koenka, A. C. (2025). Urban Middle Schoolers' Experiences of an Outdoor Adventure Education Program to Facilitate Social and Emotional Development. Education Sciences, 15(7), 841. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070841
Chauhan, J. S., Anuj, N. A., Singh, R. K., Upadhyay, R. K., Sharma, A., Raina, K., & Sonker, V. (2026). The mediating effect of risk mitigation via digital practices on travel intentions following COVID-19 among tourists in Uttarakhand. International Journal of Electronic Business, 21(2), 244–263. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEB.2026.151470
Chen, F., & Liu, S. (2025). How Confucian values activate tourist environmentally responsible behavior? — an activated perspective of planned behavior. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 30(5), 517–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2025.2454240
Chen, X., & Cheung, L. T. O. (2025). Balancing nature-based tourism and sustainable well-being: exploring aesthetic quality, environmental benefits, and pro-environmental behaviour. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 30(6), 809–830. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2025.2470639
Cornell, S., Piatkowski, T., Brander, R. W., & Peden, A. E. (2026). The Influence of Social Media on Outdoor Risk‐Taking Behaviours: Understanding the Role of Social Norms, Intentions, and Perceptions Among Australians. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 37(1), e70133, https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.70133
Deng, X., Li, J., & Huang, Y. (2025). Social media-induced fear of missing out (FoMO) in the workplace: the influence on job burnout and workplace relations. Internet Research, 36(4), 1287–1304, https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-02-2024-0244
Ewert, A., & Hollenhorst, S. (1989). Testing the Adventure Model: Empirical Support for a Model of Risk Recreation Participation. Journal of Leisure Research, 21(2), 124–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1989.11969794
Fan, C., & Li, L. (2026). Stop unsafe behaviors at Internet celebrity spots: Matching strategies of warning message appeals and background colors in tourism safety communication. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 66, 101393, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2026.101393
Fathy, E. A., Salem, I. E., Zidan, H. A. K. Y., & Abdien, M. K. (2025). From plate to post: how foodstagramming enriches tourist satisfaction and creates memorable experiences in culinary tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(20), 3373–3392. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2405625
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a Silver Bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202
Hair, J. F., Fisher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Hanafiah, M. H., Amirah, W. N., Asyraff, M. A., Zain, N. A. M., & Hussein, A. S. (2025). Glamping tourism: unpacking ecotourists' experiential quality, perceived value and behavioural intention. Journal of Ecotourism, 24(4), 401–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2024.2447953
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.10073
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Hu, Xianyang, Hua, F., Chen, G., & Lu, M. (2026). Effects of the Threatened Moral Self on Visitors' Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Insights from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment. Journal of Travel Research, 65(4), 1169–1182. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875251322516
Hu, Xuan, Tan, J., & Han, K. (2025). Examining the spillover effect of self-protective behaviors on sustainable land use intentions: behavioral insights from landslide-prone areas in China. Natural Hazards, 121(16), 18919–18937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-025-07544-1
Hunter, J. A., Clark, H., Keenan, G., Moradi, S., Arahanga-Doyle, H., Boyes, M., Ruffman, T., O'Brien, K., Mason, A., Stringer, M., & Scarf, D. (2025). Social identity is associated with the long-term growth of personal efficacy in an Adventure Education Program (AEP). Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 29(3), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000231
Janchai, N., & Suvittawat, A. (2025). The Structural Equation Model of Factors Affecting Decision-Making on Low-Carbon Tourist Destinations. Sustainability, 17(5), 2082. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052082
Jaworska, D. (2025). Many faces of FoMO: A qualitative in-depth investigation of context-specific experiences, emotions, and coping strategies. PLOS One, 20(9), e0330978. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330978
Kock, N. (2015). Common Method Bias in PLS-SEM. International Journal of E-Collaboration, 11(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijec.2015100101
Kumar, S., & Kumar, S. (2025). Social media's sway: how social comparison on social media stimulates impulse travelling; serial mediation study on Indian millennials tourists. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(1), 138–160. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-01-2024-0004
Latusi, S., & Ieva, M. (2025). Touchpoints' role in the museum context: from affect to customer loyalty. The TQM Journal, 37(9), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-03-2025-0153
Lenggogeni, S., Wang, J., Scott, N., & Saito, H. (2026). Religiosity and risk in the Ring of Fire. Journal of Vacation Marketing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667261417681
Lengieza, M. L., Richardson, M., & Hughes, J. P. (2025). Feature networks: The environmental features that are central to nature- connectedness experiences. Landscape and Urban Planning, 259, 105362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105362
Louis, A. A., Talib, H., Chan, J. K. L., & Kamlun, K. U. (2025). Benefits of geopark from the perspective of local communities: A case study of Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark, Malaysia. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 13(4), 534–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2025.10.001
Lyu, C., Xu, W., & Jiang, Y. (2025). Elderly Tourists' Motives for Virtual Tourism and Its Impact on Subjective Vitality. International Journal of Tourism Research, 27(5), e70104. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70104
Martin, P., & Priest, S. (1986). Understanding the adventure experience. Journal of Adventure Education, 3(1), 18–21.
Mashkov, R., Shoval, N., Rizowy, B. I., Shavin, U., Srulovitch, H., & Shwartz, A. (2025). Measuring reactions to congestion in the digital era. Annals of Tourism Research, 113, 103976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2025.103976
Matijašević, B., Penjak, A., & Mališa, S. (2025). When the screen calls: online FoMo as a behavioural and pedagogical problem. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 30(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2554284
Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals' feeling in community with nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(4), 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2004.10.001
Nam, Y.-Y., & Yang, Y. (2025). Cognitive Inconsistency in Travel Risk Perception: A Behavioral Economics Perspective. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 49(7), 1303–1316. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251318035
Nugroho, R. A., Quevedo, J. M. D., & Kohsaka, R. (2025). Are the local communities in Balikpapan Bay, Indonesia ready for Mangrove ecotourism? A theory of planned behavior informed study. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 7(4), 439–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-025-00233-0
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378001700405
Phan, T. P., & Trương, P. H. (2025). Sustainable Rural Development Through Agritourism in Ben Tre Province. Tạp Chí Nghiên Cứu Dân Tộc, 14(1), 145–152.
Priest, S. (1992). Factor Exploration and Confirmation for the Dimensions of an Adventure Experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 24(2), 127–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1992.11969881
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
Ravichandran, S. S. (2026). FOMO at the Vineyard: A Microstudy of Wine Tourists' Revisit Intentions Based on Digital Triggers. Indian Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 69–79. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2026/v56/i1/175901
Rogers, R. W. (1975). A Protection Motivation Theory of Fear Appeals and Attitude Change1. The Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1975.9915803
Sánchez-Torres, J. A., Hernández Fernández, Y. L., & Perlaza Lopera, C. (2025). Factors influencing university students in conducting ecotourism. Journal of Tourism Futures, 11(1), 82–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-09-2020-0139
Silva, L. F., Carballo‐Cruz, F., & Ribeiro, J. C. (2025). Moral Norms in Action: Understanding the Interplay of Visitors' Motivations, Pro‐Environmental Personal Norms, and Satisfaction in a Protected Area Context. International Journal of Tourism Research, 27(3), e70066. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70066
Soontayatron, S. (2025). The Paradox of Thai Leisure: Exploring the Tension Between "Doing as One Pleases" and the Pursuit of Meaningful Leisure. Leisure Sciences, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2025.2584990
Stern, P. C. (2000). New Environmental Theories: Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175
Suárez-Perdomo, A., Garcés-Delgado, Y., & Arvelo-Rosales, C. N. (2025). Profiles of undergraduates' fear of missing out (FoMO): Influences in academic goals and decision-making processes. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 41(6), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.10466
Suryani, W., Lestari, I., & Afwina, R. (2025). From Scroll to Stroll: The Role of FOMO and Climate Advocacy in Shaping Gen Z's Travel Intentions for Sustainable Tourism Destination. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 20(09), 4041–4050. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.200933
Tang, J., Yan, L., Wang, Y., & Huang, L. (2026). Psychological restoration and transformative experiences of recreational vehicle tourists. Current Issues in Tourism, 29(2), 338–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2420849
Tang, Y., Liang, S., Bu, H., & Huang, R. (2025). Sustainable development in wetland tourism: The impacts of gratitude to nature and connectedness to nature on environmentally responsible behavior. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 63, 460–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2025.05.019
Truong, T. T. H., Nguyen, T. T. Van, Nguyen, T. H. H., Tran, H. T., Hoang, H., & Nguyen, T. M. N. (2025). The Role of Resilience, Risk Perception, Efficacy Belief on Protective Behaviours and Travel Intention During a Crisis. Sage Open, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251337199
Ulker-Demirel, E. (2025). The Paradox of Choice in the Age of AI. In Insights on Consumer Psychology in the Digital Landscape (pp. 251–278). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-2424-1.ch009
Widaningsih, T. T., & Putranto, A. (2025). Digital tourism communication: effects of influencer credibility, content quality, and e-WoM on emotions, FoMO, self-identification, and visit intentions of Gen Z travelers. Frontiers in Communication, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1717937
Yadav, S. J. (2025). The link between customer perception and green marketing: A study on sustainable practices in Indian hotels (pp. 399–418). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8949-2.ch016
Yang, Q., Zhang, T., Mukambaeva, I., & Mukambaev, N. (2025). Perceived quality symbols in short-video social media drive ski tourism behavior. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 30767. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16666-2
Zhou, J., & Ho, H.-W. (2025). Does FoMO matter with impulsive travel in live streaming? The role of marketing communication. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(10), 3885–3904. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-11-2024-1246