مطالب

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.

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.