@2024 Afarand., IRAN

---

ISSN: 2538-4384    Geographical Researches 2020;35(4):355-366

Background
Religion has been one of the oldest incentives for traveling. The authorities and managers should understand visitors' behavioral patterns to increase social and economic benefits.
Previous Studies
Aghajani et al. (2010) studied pilgrimage and tourism in Iran's development planning focusing on Imam Reza pilgrimage before and after the Islamic revolution. Tourism offered activities, as well as religious incentives, attract visitors [Bozic et al., 2016]. Recognition of the incentives can increase the visitors' ability and provides more incentives for them to be attracted and stay longer [Jang & Feng, 2007]. As religious tourism is in deep connection with cultural, social, and holiday group tourism, it is highly influenced by them. Then, the cultural domain of the destinations affects tourists' attraction [Shinde, 2012]. Satisfaction forms in two aspects: one before traveling and the other one after traveling and its real experience that satisfies the visitors [Sadeh et al., 2012]. Satisfaction from traveling increases visitors' loyalty, profitability, and market [Van Vuuren & Slabbert, 2011].
Aim(s)
This study aimed to identify tourist's behavioral components and sort out their priorities in Mashhad to make them satisfied.
Research type
The current research is descriptive in terms of its nature and empirical in terms of its purpose.
Research society, place and time
The current research is carried out by handing questionnaires out to the visitors in Mashhad in the summer, 2019.
Sampling method and number
384 visitors were chosen to answer the questionnaires using simple randomized sampling.
Used devices&materials
The questionnaire, desk studies, and confirmatory factor analysis were used in the current research.
Findings by Text
Men and women account for 46.1% and 53.9%, respectively. The statistical population includes people younger than 30 years old, with 13.5%, between 30 and 40 years old, with 41.4%, between 40 and 50 years old, with 26.8% and older than 50 years old, with 18.2%. People who stay for less than 3 days, 3days, between 3 days and one week, and more than one week account for 28.4%, 17.2%, 16.1%, and 38.3%, respectively. 89.8% of people start their travel from somewhere inside Iran, while 10.2% start their travel in foreign countries. Research variables can be classified into three categories, incentives, attitude, and satisfaction. The loyalty variable has the biggest average and cooperation has the smallest one. A correlation matrix of research variables was prepared for the assessment of the research inferential statistics. There is a positive correlation between all variables (Table 4). According to the fitted factor analysis model, all variables factor load is significant in the confidence level of 95% (Figure 1). CFA model fitness indices and their desirable value are shown in Figure 1.These indices show the great fitness of the models and the significance of factor loads of each variable. In Figure 1 incentive variables of Q3 and Q15 have the biggest factor load that shows that religious rituals are the main incentive for the visitors. Q20 is the biggest one in the variable of the attitude that is related to the positive effect of visitors' visualization and imagination of their destination on choosing the destination and their behavior. Q25 in satisfaction variable shows the visitors' satisfaction made by host community behavior towards the religious visitors.The most influential factor on visitors' behavior is the destination. Then, planning for the cities and designing the urban areas, managers and the decision-makers should take the religious visitors' needs into consideration (Table 5).Figure 2 shows the research model including t-value coefficients significance. This model tests all measuring equations (first and second factor loads). This test shows that the calculated average is more than the moderated level for all factors. T value, on the other hand, is bigger than the critical amount of 1.96.Evaluation of the visitors' behavioral components: according to the results from Table 4, the calculated t-value is significant at the level of 0.001 in the evaluation of the visitors' behavioral components. Then, incentive, attitude, and satisfaction are influential components in urban planning (Table 6).Religious visitors have a positive image of Mashhad and their emotional attitude toward this city attracts them (Table 7). According to the positive image of the visitors about Mashhad, the mean difference in loyalty component shows that visitors are almost satisfied by this city and will suggest it to others to visit. It would be of great importance for the urban authorities and decision-makers in religious cities. However, visitors' satisfaction should be gain in all behavioral fields to lead to loyalty and visitors' cooperation in urban activities. According to Table 8, participating in religious groups has a lower score of cooperation that should be taken into the managers' consideration. Setting priorities of visitors' behavioral components in urban planning: according to the findings of the current research, the Freidman test significance level for 384 questionnaires is 0.001 which is smaller than 0.05. Then, the null hypothesis is not confirmed. In other words, research variables do not have the same ranks and they can be prioritized. According to the results of the Freidman test, the loyalty component from the aspect of satisfaction has the highest mean with 4.80, which is followed by imagination from the aspect of attitude with the mean of 4.35. The last priorities are commitment and cooperation with 3.46 and 3.28, respectively.
Main comparison to the similar studies
According to the findings, there is a significant relationship between incentive and visitors' attitude and satisfaction by the destination that is consistent with the findings of Perthmaningsey et al. (2014). Amiri Aghdaei et al. (2016) people's imagination of the destination is very influential on religious tourism directly and indirectly. In both the current research and that of Amiri Aghdaei et al. visitors' satisfaction is of great importance. According to Bozic et al. (2016) tourists' activities in their destination, as well as the religious incentives, motivate the visitors.
Suggestions
There is no suggestion reported.
Limitations
There is no limitation reported.
Conclusions
Religious visitors' satisfaction resulting in their cooperation, commitment and loyalty to their destination needs an accurate understanding of the visitors' needs that can be realized from their behavior.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank those people who helped them to carry out the current research.
Conflict of interest
None.
Ethical Permissions
None.
Funding Sources
This paper is extracted from Painaz Hasani's Ph.D. thesis "explaining strategic urban planning in religious cities to strike a balance between residents' and religious visitors' behavior (Case study: Mashhad).

TABLES and CHARTS

Show attach file