Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Flickr Photographic Activity in Sleman's Temple Heritage Landscape

A multi-year analysis of geotagged Flickr photographs reveals distinct spatial and temporal patterns of photographic activity around the Prambanan Temple Compounds. The study found that 82.14% of activity concentrates in the Candi Prambanan zone, with hot spots identified near the main temple precinct and cold spots in peripheral areas. While Flickr data correlates strongly (rs = 0.979) with official visitor statistics for relative site prominence, it does not validate actual visitor volume or physical deterioration. The research used quadrat density analysis, Getis-Ord Gi*-based Optimized Hot Spot Analysis (OHSA), Emerging Hot Spot Analysis (EHSA), and HDBSCAN clustering to map 372 locations within Candi Prambanan, including oscillating and sporadic hot spots. These findings underscore the value of long-term spatiotemporal analysis for heritage site prioritization but caution against interpreting photographic activity as direct evidence of visitor pressure.

Wibowo, T. W., Santosa, S. H. M. B., Susilo, B., Purwanto, T. H., & Kurniawan, B. (2026). Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Flickr Photographic Activity in Sleman’s Temple Heritage Landscape Jurnal Geografi, 18(2), 461–485. https://doi.org/10.24114/jg.v18i2.75454