ETHICS, DEATH, AND DIGITAL NARRATIVES: MORAL DISENGAGEMENT IN GOOGLE MAPS REVIEWS OF BATU LEMO
Keywords:
Moral Disengagement Theory, Digital Data, Batu Lemo, Dark Tourism Destination, Death-based Tourism
Abstract
The rise of dark tourism as part of contemporary tourism has raised various ethical dilemmas regarding the commodification of death, cultural sensitivities, and tourist behavior toward sacred spaces. However, research on tourists’ moral rationalizations in the context of dark tourism, particularly based on digital reviews, remains very limited. This study aims to analyze ethical aspects of dark tourism in Batu Lemo, Tana Toraja, through the perspective of moral disengagement theory. Therefore, this study employs a review analysis approach within a constructivist paradigm to explore how tourists construct moral justifications for death-based tourism experiences. Research data were obtained from 268 Google Maps reviews of Batu Lemo from 2018 to 2026, collected using scraping techniques via SerpAPI and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVIVO 12 software. The results indicate that tourists actively employ mechanisms of moral disengagement, particularly cognitive restructuring, consequence distortion, and dehumanization, to interpret burial sites as objects of entertainment, visual consumption, and ordinary tourism experiences. On the other hand, some tourists continue to demonstrate moral sensitivity by respecting the culture and ancestors of the Toraja people. This study contributes to the development of dark tourism research by integrating perspectives from moral psychology, tourism ethics, and digital review analysis. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening tourism ethics education and implementing destination management practices that are more sensitive to local cultural values.
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Volkman, T. A. (1990). Visions and revisions: Toraja culture and the tourist gaze. American Ethnologist, 17(1), 91–110. https://doi.org/10.1525/ae.1990.17.1.02a00060
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Wu, J. (Snow), Font, X., & Liu, J. (2025). Failure to morally self-regulate: deindividuation and moral disengagement from pro-environmental behavioural intentions across tourism and home contexts. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(8), 1220–1239. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2355559
Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 364–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.364
Bonner, J. M., Greenbaum, R. L., & Mayer, D. M. (2016). My Boss is Morally Disengaged: The Role of Ethical Leadership in Explaining the Interactive Effect of Supervisor and Employee Moral Disengagement on Employee Behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(4), 731–742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2366-6
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide.
Butcher, J. (2014). Is there a case for revising the UNWTO’s Global Code of Ethics to include a new article on the ethical treatment of animals by the tourism industry? A response to the opinion piece by David Fennell. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(7), 997–1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2014.918136
Cooper, E., Hehir, C., & Sokolíčková, Z. (2026). How can I fly there and talk about environmental change? Moral (dis)engagement among Antarctic tour guides. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2026.2664633
Fennell, D. A. (2014). Exploring the boundaries of a new moral order for tourism’s global code of ethics: an opinion piece on the position of animals in the tourism industry. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(7), 983–996. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2014.918137
Iliev, D. (2021). Consumption, motivation and experience in dark tourism: a conceptual and critical analysis. Tourism Geographies, 23(5–6), 963–984. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1722215
Im, A. Y., & Kim, D.-Y. (2025). Understanding Disrespectful Tourist Behavior Through Tourists’ Stereotyped Perceptions. Journal of Travel Research, 64(1), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231209978
Im, A. Y., & Kim, D.-Y. (2026). Do entitled tourists misbehave? The role of emotions and familiarity with destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 9(4), 1646–1663. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-04-2025-0514
Jørgensen, T., & Reichenberger, I. (2023). Breaking bad behaviour: understanding negative film tourist behaviour through moral disengagement. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(7), 1183–1198. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2051447
Li, S., Li, Y., Liu, C., & Fan, N. (2024). How do Different Types of User-Generated Content Attract Travelers? Taking Story and Review on Airbnb as the Example. Journal of Travel Research, 63(2), 371–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231158588
Magano, J., Fraiz-Brea, J. A., & Ângela Leite. (2023). Dark tourism, the holocaust, and well-being: A systematic review. Heliyon, 9(1), e13064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13064
Martini, A., & Buda, D. M. (2020). Dark tourism and affect: framing places of death and disaster. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(6), 679–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2018.1518972
Moore, C. (2015). Moral disengagement. Current Opinion in Psychology, 6, 199–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.07.018
Mora Forero, J. A., Nieto Mejia, A., & León-Gómez, A. (2023). A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of Dark Tourism: Trends, Impact, and Prospects. Administrative Sciences, 13(11), 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13110238
Nag, A., & Mishra, S. (2024). Exploring Dark Tourism in Mining Heritage: Competitiveness and Ethical Dilemmas. In Journal of Mining and Environment (Vol. 15, Number 3, pp. 863–887). Shahrood University of Technology. https://doi.org/10.22044/jme.2023.13840.2571
Pizzetti, M., Miniero, G., Bonera, M., Codini, A. P., & Elam, S. (2024). “ I am not unsustainable; I am on holiday! ” moral disengagement and the holiday mindset of young travellers during a cruise. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(11), 2304–2322. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2344010
Pournader, M., & Kach, A. P. (2024). “Fool Me Once” Or “Slippery Slope”? A Study of Purchasing Managers’ Reaction to Repeated Supplier Sustainability Incidents. Journal of Business Logistics, 45(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12394
Prayag, G., Buda, D.-M., & Jordan, E. J. (2021). Mortality salience and meaning in life for residents visiting dark tourism sites. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(9), 1508–1528. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1823398
Puteri, N. M., Safira, F., & Sari, R. (2025). Dark Tourism, Beyond Fear and Sadness: Development of Contemporary Tourism Management in Indonesia. World Journal of Entrepreneurship Management and Sustainable Development, 21(4), 285. https://doi.org/10.47556/J.WJEMSD.21.4.2025.1
Rhama, B. (2023). Psychological Risk: The Importance of Place Attachment, Moral Engagement, Planning and Social Support in Tourists Risk Management. In Safety and Tourism (pp. 133–158). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-811-420231008
Sann, R., Lai, P.-C., Liaw, S.-Y., & Chen, C.-T. (2025). The nature of electronic complaints about dark tourism destinations: a machine learning approach. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 20(1), 107–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2024.2399208
Sharma, N. (2020). Dark tourism and moral disengagement in liminal spaces. Tourism Geographies, 22(2), 273–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1713877
Shekhar, S., & Valeri, M. (2022). Evolving Themes in Dark Tourism Research. Tourism, 70(4), 624–641. https://doi.org/10.37741/t.70.4.6
Song, J., Li, L., & Luo, X. (2026). Evaluating Sentiment Analysis Models for Tourist Reviews: Implications for Guilin Scenic Area Management. 2026 14th International Conference on Intelligent Control and Information Processing (ICICIP), 171–177. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICICIP67436.2026.11417673
Su, L., Cheng, J., Wen, J., Kozak, M., & Teo, S. (2022). Does seeing deviant other-tourist behavior matter? The moderating role of travel companions. Tourism Management, 88, 104434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104434
UN Tourism. (2025). Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
Suardana, I. K. P. (2023). Propaganda Online dalam Konflik Keberagaman di Kawasan Wisata Budaya dan Keagamaan. Jurnal Pewarta Indonesia, 5(1), 52-67.
Volkman, T. A. (1990). Visions and revisions: Toraja culture and the tourist gaze. American Ethnologist, 17(1), 91–110. https://doi.org/10.1525/ae.1990.17.1.02a00060
Wijaya, M. I., Suryanditha, P. A., Sri Masyeni, D. A. P., Pradnyawati, L. G., & Juwita, D. A. P. R. (2026). Discreet desires: consumer motivations and risk perceptions in covert prostitution within Bali’s spa tourism. Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/CBTH-06-2025-0149
Wu, J. (Snow), Font, X., & Liu, J. (2021). Tourists’ Pro-environmental Behaviors: Moral Obligation or Disengagement? Journal of Travel Research, 60(4), 735–748. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520910787
Wu, J. (Snow), Font, X., & Liu, J. (2025). Failure to morally self-regulate: deindividuation and moral disengagement from pro-environmental behavioural intentions across tourism and home contexts. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(8), 1220–1239. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2355559
Published
2026-08-24
How to Cite
Putra, M. Z. D., Vitrianto, P. N., & Putra, R. E. D. (2026). ETHICS, DEATH, AND DIGITAL NARRATIVES: MORAL DISENGAGEMENT IN GOOGLE MAPS REVIEWS OF BATU LEMO. Paryaṭaka Jurnal Pariwisata Budaya Dan Keagamaan, 5(1), 84-98. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.53977/pyt.v5i1.3963
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Articles
