Identifying the Motivations of Ancestral Tourists for Traveling to Their Ancestors’ Land (Case Study: Iran)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Art University of Isfahan

2 Department of Islamic Education, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Context and Purpose: Considering that ancestral tourism is one of the emerging sectors of tourism in Iran, it is necessary as initial steps to understand what factors attract ancestral tourists to visit their homeland or their ancestors’ land and what places have more appeal to them during this journey. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the factors influencing the motivation of ancestral tourists to travel to their ancestors’ land and their desired places.
Design/methodology/approach: The required data for this research was collected qualitatively through interviews with experts in ancestral tourism, cultural tourism, history professors, and cultural guides who had experience in organizing tours related to ancestral tourism. It is worth mentioning that the research sampling method was snowball sampling, and ultimately, the results obtained from 17 interviews were analyzed using the content analysis method with the help of MAXQDA software.
Findings: Familiarity with ancestors’ background, establishing and maintaining a connection with the past, economic interests, attractions of the ancestral land, showing respect, reminiscing the past, feeling of belonging to the ancestral land, and gaining emotional experience from a societal perspective were identified as the main motivations for travel.
Conclusion: The results show that generally, three motivations will prioritize tourists’ interest in travel: 1. personal interest and need, 2. showing one’s identity and culture to others, and 3. improving the situation of the ancestral land.
Originality/value: The focus on the psychological and sociological core of distant ancestral tourists adds authenticity to this research. Moreover, the results obtained from this study will be effective as the first steps towards the growth of ancestral tourism.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Tourism Planning and Development
Volume 13, Issue 50
September 2024
Pages 51-68

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