Typology of Religious Travelers, Pilgrims, and Religious Tourists: A Case Study of Mazandaran Province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Sociology, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran.

2 Ph.D. Candidate of Development Sociology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Babol branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran.

Abstract

Context and Purpose: Mazandaran province receives numerous tourists from all over the country and the world annually. There are 1312 holy mausoleums and 33 famous shrines that provide a special boost to religious tourism and can play a role in the development of the area.
Design/methodology/approach: In this regard, in this study, the typology of passengers who travel to religious sites based on motivation theory, Brooke and Henry (1996) (physical, emotional, religious, historical, social interactions, self-actualization, conditions, and drift) is discussed. The first two groups of pilgrims and tourists were evaluated with different approaches and continued with the survey, questionnaire, a total of 400 patients with cluster sampling, travel motivations referring to the province's religious sites were investigated. The binomial test data obtained through statistical techniques (Binomial Test) were analyzed.
Findings: The findings show that the majority of the respondents, i.e., 65% of them, are religious tourists, and 35% are pilgrims.
Conclusion: the results generally show that the majority of passengers' religious places of the kind of religious tourism and the main purpose of their journey is religiously motivated, emotional, facilities, and conditions.
Originality/value: The current research has proposed the religious tourism platform as a capacity for the development of the province.

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Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Tourism Planning and Development
Volume 14, Issue 53
June 2025
Pages 35-52

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