International journal of Tourism, Culture and Spirituality

Recreation centres worldwide serve as prominent attractions, offering visitors opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment. Within the continuously growing hospitality industry, there is significant potential for international investment and foreign exchange. This study delves into the cultural significance of Gurara Waterfalls by evaluating stakeholder feedback. Employing a quantitative research method, the study utilized a virtual survey to gather data from 170 inhabitants of the Minna-Abuja environs. The primary focus of the questionnaire was to unravel the intricate tapestry of visitors' experiences at Gurara Waterfalls. Through a meticulous analysis of prevalent issues, captivating features, and overall emotional responses, the aim was to investigate the untapped potentials of cultural tourism embedded in this natural wonder. The practical implications of user perceptions on Gurara Waterfall and its surrounding facilities are presented. The findings from this research provide valuable insights into the cultural connections surrounding Gurara Waterfalls, shedding light on opportunities for enhancing the visitor experience and unlocking the latent cultural tourism prospects associated with this captivating natural site. As a recommendation, further research should explore creative and innovative structures for Gurara Waterfalls and other Nigerian tourist destinations, aiming to create, sustain and increase cultural tourist interest and overall visitor satisfaction.

The purpose of this work is to use structural analysis to create believable scenarios of Iranian food tourism. In the present study, to formulate plausible scenarios, first by reviewing the literature and interviewing experts, 37 factors affecting food tourism were extracted. The variables affecting the future of food tourism, directly and indirectly, were calculated using a questionnaire and analysis by MICMAC software. Finally, considering the two most critical factors called food festivals and sanctions/international relations, plausible scenarios for the future of Iranian food tourism were developed. Based on the results, four scenarios are presented. These scenarios include Golden Scenario, Limited Scenario, Neglected Scenario and Chaotic Scenario. In Golden scenario, which depicts the ideal conditions, as many suitable food festivals as possible are being held in a country, and sanctions are not imposed. According to Limited Scenario, holding more and better food festivals is on the officials’ agenda, but on the other hand, the country is under sanctions and pressure. In Neglected Scenario, holding festivals is the same as in the past, and the country is not sanctioned. In Chaotic Scenario, depicting the worst-case scenario, the festival process is the same as in the past and has not been developed quantitatively and qualitatively. Also, the country is in a problematic situation of sanctions. Creating Credible The industry's major players and beneficiaries greatly benefit from Iranian food tourism scenarios, which enable them to provide flexible preparation-based programmers in response to shifting circumstances. The techniques and factors that influence the growth of the business will be known to the participants and recipients of food tourism, and this will open up a multitude of opportunities for the players involved.

Sports tourism is one of the types of tourism that has an increasing growth in the tourism industry. Its effects are evident in all dimensions and fields, and there is a need to explain the role of this type of tourism on promoting the culture and ethics of the host society. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to investigate the role of sports tourism on promoting the culture and ethics of the host society, which is done using a mixed method. In the first stage, semi-structured interviews were conducted using the qualitative method of the focus group of 15 experts who were selected by the purposive sampling method. In the second stage, 27 experts were identified using stratified sampling. Through the tool of the questionnaire, they expressed their opinions regarding the extracted components and indicators. According to the research findings, 32 key codes, 14 integrative codes and 4 overarching codes were obtained through coding by King and Harrocks method. In the quantitative stage, all the experts approved the extracted components and indicators. According to the results, sports tourism has a fundamental role in promoting the culture and ethics of the host society and this role is through components such as "developing and promoting positive and useful values in the host society; cultural and moral empowerment of tourists and the host society; promotion of participation and ethical cooperation; developing and promoting a culture of altruism and empathy" was approved. These cases can not only bring positive and extensive communication fields to the host society, but they are also able to be effective in creating social capital in the host society.

This research aims to identify the factors that influence the growth of cultural tourism in Iran and propose a corresponding model. Following the identification of these factors, a scenario is written to optimize their utilization. The research employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve its objectives and finalize the factors. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with experts in the field. In the second phase, after the formal validity of the factors is confirmed, their fuzzy cognitive mapping and scenario are designed using the FCMapper and Pajek software programs. As the results show, the factor of “creating investment opportunities and attracting financial resources in the field of cultural tourism” is the most influential, while the factor of “providing diverse and creative services in Iran’s cultural tourism” is the most impressionable for the development of cultural tourism in Iran. In the task of scenario writing, it has been discovered that, by focusing on attracting financial resources, managers can enhance the infrastructure, create a context for interaction with other countries, identify new target markets, and offer creative services to Iranian cultural tourists through diverse tours. The findings can help stakeholders, managers, and policymakers in Iran’s tourism industry design and develop plans and strategies for the growth of Iran’s cultural tourism

This study presents a significant contribution to the field of sustainable cultural tourism at world heritage sites, a crucial area in light of the World Tourism Organization's (WTO) projections for 2030. Employing a comprehensive and integrated approach, the research systematically synthesizes existing qualitative studies to address the question of sustainable development in this context. A rigorous meta-synthesis, following the methodology of Sandelowski and Barroso, was applied to 43 scientifically credible articles selected via the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). This selection process ensured the inclusion of high-quality research. The study's major intellectual contribution is the development of a new paradigmatic model for understanding sustainable cultural tourism at world heritage sites. This model was constructed using Grounded Theory Strategy and Maxqda2020 software, facilitating a structured analysis and interpretation of the data. The model organizes 99 primary codes into 20 main and secondary categories, providing a comprehensive framework that encapsulates the core phenomena of the field. Moreover, the study's findings are further validated through the use of Cohen's kappa Coefficient in SPSS, achieving a score of 0.714, which experts have confirmed. This statistical validation underscores the reliability of the research outcomes. Overall, this study not only synthesizes a wide range of existing qualitative research but also advances the field by offering a novel model and ensuring the reliability of its findings. These contributions are particularly relevant for policy makers and practitioners focused on the sustainable development of tourism, especially in the context of preserving cultural heritage at world heritage sites.

Wellness tourism has become a growing market in the tourism industry, which has a high potential of development. Wellness tourism is tourists with motivations for acquiring health and wellbeing who choose a trip with awareness and reliance. As a result, wellness tourism starts on a trip to the outside and aims to improve the physical, mental, and social health; during the trip, the inside trip is formed and leads to identifying unifying with a creator. This study aims to investigate the role of wellness tourism in the spiritual health of the recreation-tourism village of Baghistan. This is qualitative, and its method is descriptive-analytical, in which the interviewing method with tourists has been used since Nov. 2023. After analyzing the qualitative method, the results of the study show that the positive impacts and positive personal feelings along with personal internal motivations are factors of wellness tourism which finally lead to spiritual health. Although wellbeing and journey are inseparable parts of the body, soul, and spirit, the component of self-knowledge, inner peace, allows the tourist to enjoy and satisfy with awareness of the trip, to touch more health, wellbeing, freshness, and integrity of the spiritual health dimensions.

Prior research has extensively examined the motivating factors driving tourists to visit religious sites; however, there has been a noticeable gap in understanding the emotional experiences of tourists during these visits. The primary objective of this study is to explore and quantify the emotional states, arousal levels, and overall satisfaction of tourists while visiting religious destinations. The study draws upon data gathered from 149 tourists who visited the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Descriptive statistical methods are employed to assess and compare different demographic groups within the sample. The results of this study reveal that visiting religious places evokes a profound sense of inner peace and happiness among tourists, transcending religious boundaries. Remarkably, even tourists practicing religions other than the one associated with the visited site reported feeling blessed during their visits. Participants described a heightened sense of inner contentment and noted that the physical and mental pressures they carried seemed to dissipate during their pilgrimage. These findings contribute significantly to our comprehension of the multifaceted dimensions of religious and spiritual tourism, shedding light on the pivotal factors that drive individuals to embark on transformative journeys. By delving into the emotional and experiential aspects of religious and spiritual tourism, this study underscores the importance of emotional well-being and inner fulfilment as crucial motivators in tourists' engagement with religious sites.

Tourist development today, coupled with advancements in information and communication technology, has rendered the traditional tourism value chain inefficient. Certain segments of the chain lack functionality or exhibit very weak functionality, failing to create added value. Among these segments are distribution channels (intermediaries), often comprising tour guides and travel agencies. Today's tourists, within the paradigm of creative tourism, seek more than mere leisure; they aim to discover the unknown and gain unique experiences through interaction with the destination and local people. In this study, conducted using qualitative and ethnographic methods, involving deep interviews and participatory observation by the researcher during a trip to Western Europe organized by the MANZAR Society in 2015, a creative and research-oriented journey was undertaken. The author endeavors to identify the role of intermediaries (tour leaders) in this journey as a theoretical framework within a dynamic and creative unified system. This framework suggests that the role of tour leaders has evolved from its traditional state to encompass a system involving activities before, during, and after the journey. The details of each activity were identified and elucidated in this study. It is worth noting that this framework was validated through a two-stage Delphi method involving experts.

The visitors visit the museums with different motivations. Since, motivation is prerequisite for decision-making and choice of destination, the motivation and needs of different visitors should be investigated effectively and efficiently. In addition, move towards the visitor motivation and needs can follow visitor satisfaction and increasing the number of visitors. Current research aims to identify the motivation of Isfahan Constitutional Museum visitors and compare it with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Descriptive statistics and a qualitative method with the help of MAXQDA software were used to examine the research question, and the data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The convenience sampling was used to collect data. The data reached the saturation point in interview number 40. The results illustrated that self-actualization needs are the first motivation for visiting the museum, which is divided into eleven open codes as visiting historical places and increasing historical information, learning, and interest, familiarity with the constitutional history and its events, interest in learning about the country's history, increasing historical information, taking photos, enjoying the architecture of the museum building and learning about it, academic research about the most influential people in the constitutional revolution, touching, feeling, smelling, and sensing history of Iran, familiarity with celebrities and characters of the museum, acquaintance with the biography of Haj Aqa Nourollah. Social needs were another motivation for visiting the museum. In addition, the need for safety and security was the last but not the least need that attracted the visitors to the museum.

Intangible cultural heritage, a cornerstone of sustainable tourism development, plays a pivotal role in differentiating destinations and attracting visitors. However, its effective preservation and promotion require a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence its development. This study employs a qualitative research approach, specifically an exploratory design. The target population comprises experts in the field of tourism and cultural heritage, and snowball sampling was utilized to select participants. The study data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by using the thematic analysis method and MAXQDA software. The method of retesting the interviews has been used to confirm and increase the validity of the interviews’ results. The output obtained from the analysis of the interviews includes 270 open codes and 80 axial codes in the form of 18 sub-themes, which are as following: creative tourists, infrastructure, capitalistic view of heritage, linking heritage with tourism, women's relationship with intangible heritage, destination management, organization, combination of creativity and culture, empowering and augmenting women’s capability, education, motivation, women's role, supporting women, supporting creative tourism, capacity and competitiveness of the destination, characteristics of the destination, handicrafts and festivals. These themes have been embedded in the three main categories of creativity, creative tourism and development of intangible heritage. On the basis of that, a model for the development of intangible cultural heritage was proposed. The findings of this study showed that in many destinations, the development of creative tourism and the creativity of the residential community, especially women, can be one of the branches of tourism development and as an incentive for the development of intangible cultural heritage.

Given that identity and wisdom are considered fundamental criteria for sustainability and vitality, incorporating these two elements into the physical structure of a neighbourhood is essential for creating a stable and thriving community. The aim of this research is to examine the role of identity components and wisdom indicators in the architecture of historical neighbourhoods in fostering community vitality. The research method employed in this article is descriptive-analytical, relying on library studies and field observations. Spiritual principles and cultural beliefs form the backbone of a valuable and dynamic architecture. On the other hand, every constructed space serves as an expression of the type of cognition and design assumptions. Cultural foundations provide the basis for shaping space, and the constructive spirituality and characteristics of the built environment depict the essential elements shaping spiritual concepts in the material form of architectural spaces. In architectural wisdom, symbolism plays a more active role in terms of functionality, and the symbolic execution has a greater impact on the efficiency of architectural structures. What this article discusses and investigates are components such as decorations, proportions, unity, appropriate functions in desirable urban land uses, city colour, and geometry in shaping spaces. The unity among the wisdom indicators in the Hasanabad neighbourhood has resulted in residents still experiencing a sense of vitality, emotional connection, and tranquillity in their lives many years after the formation of this neighbourhood.

The current study aims and issues to investigate and interpret the relationship between cultural heritage tourism and intergenerational social mobility in the Hawraman region of Iran. Due to the conditions and requirements of the research, a mixed-method design has been selected to conduct the study. In the first phase of the research, a survey on the impact of heritage tourism on intergenerational mobility in the Hawraman region was conducted among 354 local community members. Using SPSS software, the data from this section were analyzed. Then, a grounded theory approach was employed to fulfill the aims of the research's second phase. Here, the required data was obtained from 17 "in-depth and free interviews" with native participants whose businesses were related to heritage tourism. The findings in the first part of the research show a significant correlation between heritage tourism as the independent variable and social mobility as the dependent variable. In the second part, 33 sub-categories and 12 major categories related to the impact of heritage tourism on social mobility were identified. The results indicate that heritage tourism has transformed the local economy in a way that has led to the social mobility of the current generation. This study has some useful implications both for policymakers and researchers to have a better image of heritage tourism establishments, their requirements, and impacts in the Hawraman region of Kurdistan province of Iran.