The Sociotechnological Analysis of Innovation Development of Religious Nusantara Tourism Platform with the Application of Design Thinking Principles and Its Market Penetration Strategy

Abstract

Despite its favorable outlook, Islamic religious tourism in Indonesia faces persistent challenges, particularly the low adoption of technology stemming from a socio-cultural strategy mismatch. This study aimed to identify user personas, appropriate platform features, and effective market penetration strategies for a Nusantara Islamic religious tourism platform. Employing a mixed-method design, the study applied Design Thinking principles (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test) alongside Graham Robertson's adoption theory. Data were collected from 4 in-depth interview participants, 32 questionnaire respondents, and 10 prototype evaluators drawn from the Ahlusunnah Wal Jama'ah (ASWAJA) Muslim community in Nusantara. The findings confirmed three core platform features: (1) religious tourism destination information, (2) hotel booking, and (3) worship and prayer guidance. Two dominant adopter categories were identified — Trend Influencer and Late Mass — corresponding to Craft Brand and Power Player strategies aligned with Blue Ocean and Red Ocean approaches, respectively. Theoretically, this study contributes a context-adaptive model integrating Design Thinking with Robertson's market penetration framework, while offering practical recommendations for platform developers, policymakers, and destination managers seeking culturally aligned digital innovation.