Ergo-iconic value resonance in heritage tourism: A descriptive survey study of traditional Panggong House of Belitung, Indonesia

Heritage tourism in Indonesia stands at a pivotal intersection where traditional cultural spaces must serve simultaneously as living archives and competitive tourism destinations. This study explores how ergo-iconic value, understood as the convergence of ergonomic functional design and iconic cultural symbolism embedded in vernacular architecture, resonates with visitor experience at Traditional Panggong House of Belitung, a traditional stilt dwelling indigenous to Bangka Belitung Province, Indonesia. Employing a descriptive narrative approach, data were gathered from 150 domestic and international visitors through a structured questionnaire utilising a five-point Likert scale. Seven constructs are examined: Heritage Tourism, Ergo-Iconic Value, Cultural Authenticity, Destination Branding, Visitor Engagement, Tourist Satisfaction, and Enhancement of Tourism Experience. Descriptive analysis reveals that Ergo-Iconic Value records the highest mean perception score (M = 4.12), followed by Enhancement of Tourism Experience (M = 4.05) and Visitor Engagement (M = 3.98), indicating that visitors hold distinctly positive perceptions of the architectural and experiential qualities of Traditional Panggong House of Belitung. The study proposes a theoretical model linking these constructs through eight directional propositions intended to guide future structural equation modelling research; these propositions are not tested in the present study. Findings carry substantive descriptive implications for heritage destination managers seeking to leverage architectural identity as a marketing asset across the Asia Pacific region.