درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Cultural knowledge education, which includes an understanding of both tangible and intangible cultural elements, behavioral patterns, and social processes within a specific community or group, is considered essential for promoting sustainable tourism development. Tourism higher education plays a crucial role in harnessing this knowledge. However, the integration of cultural knowledge within tourism curricula has not been extensively explored in academic research. This paper, focusing on tourism higher education in Iran, seeks to examine how different components of cultural knowledge are integrated into the curricula of undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs. Using a qualitative design, the study analyzes the curricula of these programs through documentary research. Initially, courses relevant to cultural knowledge were identified through keyword searches, followed by a qualitative content analysis of course content to pinpoint the cultural knowledge components. The results indicate that cultural knowledge is more prominently incorporated at the undergraduate level than in the postgraduate programs. Furthermore, the distribution of cultural knowledge across graduate and PhD programs is unbalanced, especially when compared to the undergraduate curriculum. Given that these postgraduate programs aim to prepare future mid-to-senior-level managers and researchers in tourism, this imbalance highlights a significant gap. Therefore, revising the curricula to better integrate diverse cultural knowledge components is a critical priority for advancing sustainable tourism development in the country.

Trust is a cornerstone of human interaction, underpinning cooperation and participation and functioning as an essential element in the fabric of social life. It facilitates broader collaboration and interaction across diverse social dimensions. In the context of religious tourism, where individuals travel for pilgrimage and spiritual enrichment, trust plays a significant role in fostering intercultural communication and mutual understanding. This article investigates the correlation between the expansion of religious tourism and social trust, specifically focusing on the city of Shiraz, a prominent destination for religious tourists. Employing an applied and descriptive-analytical research approach, the study utilizes both field and library research methods. The target population comprises religious tourists visiting Shiraz. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, with Cronbach's alpha values exceeding 0.7 for all variables, confirming the reliability of the research instrument. The study's findings indicate that a substantial majority (90%) of religious tourists exhibit a moderate to high level of social trust, with an even greater proportion (94%) expressing a moderate to high inclination to revisit Shiraz. Furthermore, a direct and significant correlation exists between social trust and revisit intention. Statistical analysis suggests that approximately 38% of the variance in revisit intention can be attributed to elevated levels of social trust. Social trust plays multifaceted roles in social and economic spheres, contributing to tourist attraction, community education, promotional program diversification, and the presentation of cultural, religious, and architectural heritage. The research underscores that heightened social trust has a direct, positive impact on tourists' willingness to return to religious sites in Shiraz. This research is innovative in addressing the role of social trust in attracting religious tourists, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. The study's findings can serve as a foundation for future investigations into the intersection of religious tourism and social dynamics, particularly the role of social factors in the industry's development.