Identification and Classification of Sociological Factors Influencing Tourists' Loyalty to Tourism Destinations: A Case Study of Bandar Torkaman City

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Sociology, Az.C., Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty, Golestan University.

Abstract

Context and purpose: Tourism has developed into a significant social and economic phenomenon in numerous societies today, capturing the attention of urban managers and planners. One of the significant issues in tourism is tourist loyalty to the tourism destination. Therefore, the present study aimed to classify the sociological factors of tourist loyalty to the tourism destination.
Design/ methodology/approach: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and uses a descriptive-survey method, conducted with an exploratory mixed-methods approach among 10 academic experts.
Findings: The output of this step was 15 factors. Then, in the second step, the interpretive structural modeling method was used with Excel software to present the model. The results showed that this model has four levels, with quality of host community behavior, quality of tourist experience, perceived tourist value, tourist satisfaction, and tourist family factors at the first level, adequate road transportation, destination identity, trust in destination, destination personality, and social security factors at the second level, local foods, diversity of natural attractions, destination customs and traditions, and reference groups factors at the third level, and the tourist social class factor at the fourth level. Moreover, the tourist satisfaction, perceived tourist value, quality of tourist experience, and quality of host community behavior factors are in the dependent cluster, the reference groups, tourist family, social security, destination personality, diversity of natural attractions, destination identity, local foods, and appropriate road transportation factors are in the linked cluster, and the tourist social class and destination customs factors are in the independent cluster.
Conclusion: Tourists' loyalty to destinations is an important issue, and managers can enhance it by reviving traditional jobs and old ceremonies as part of the city’s local customs and traditions.
Originality/value: Adopting a structural-interpretive approach, the present study attempts to identify and classify the sociological factors influencing tourists' loyalty to the tourism destinations in the city of Bandar Torkaman. At the same time, it aims to introduce new trends and topics to researchers active in this field.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Ahmadi, A. (2023). Investigating the effect of cognitive and emotional image on loyalty with regard to the mediating role of tourist satisfaction (Case study: Tourists of Sari hotels). Tourism and Development, 12(3), 263-281. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jtd.2022.256192.2169 
Anik, L and et al. (2025). Sustainable Tourism and Tourist Loyalty: The Influence of Natures Hedonic Value and Emotional Bonding, SDGsReview,5(1):1-36. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n03.pe04955 
Azar, A., & Khosravani, F. (2019). Soft operations research. Industrial Management Organization Publications, Tehran. (in Persian)
Bachachari, A., & Bakhshandeh, Q. (2023). Meta-analysis of perceived value and tourist loyalty studies in Iran. Urban Tourism, 10(1), 41-56. (in Persian) https://doi.org/ 10.22059/jut.2023.330092.947 
Booshehri Sangi Zad, B., & Bahreinizad, M. (2019). Providing a native model of loyalty to the tourism destination with a qualitative approach based on the ground theory: Bushehr port tourism destination. Tourism Management Studies, 14(45), 193-220. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22054/tms.2019.23042.1654 
Farahani, B., Bahari, J., Bahari, S., & Bazleh, M. (2018). Investigating the factors affecting the loyalty of tourists to tourism destinations (Case study: Foreign tourists traveling to Tabriz). Geography and Planning, 22(64), 19-33. (in Persian) 
Faridi Fashtami, A., Salaripour, A. A., & Hesam, M. (2020). Explaining the factors affecting tourists’ attachment and loyalty to tourism destinations Case study: Rasht city. Fine Arts: Architecture and Urban Planning, 25(4), 71-83. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22059/jfaup.2021.328339.672665 
Fernandez, J. A. and et al. (2020). Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in the countries most visited by international tourists: Proposal of a synthetic index. Tourism Management Perspectives, 33(5):33-55.
Ghaffari, M., Talaei Malmiri, A. R., & Abedini, A. (2023). Analysis of factors affecting the loyalty of international tourists to Iran. Geographical Studies of Arid Zones, 15(57), 40-63. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jargs.2023.394633.1024 
Ghahraman, A. (2018). Sociological analysis of factors affecting tourists' loyalty to tourism destinations. Social Studies of Tourism,12(6).
Hernandez-Rojas, R. D., Folgado-Fernandez, J. A., and Palos-Sanchez, P. R. (2021). Influence of the restaurant brand and gastronomy on tourist loyalty. A study in Córdoba (Spain). International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 23.  https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJGFS.2021.100305 
Hemmatian, M., Soleimani, M., & Shafiei, S. (2024). Factors affecting the voluntary loyalty of tourists to the tourism destination (Case study: Zayanderud Construction Organization). Tourism and Development, 13(1), 161-177. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jtd.2023.407151.2798 
Heydarzadeh, K., Najafi, K., & Hosseini, S. A. (2017). The effect of tourism service quality on loyalty to the tourism destination with regard to the mediating role of the mental image of the tourism destination and tourist satisfaction. Tourism Management Studies, 12(40), 115-153. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22054/tms.2018.19440.1534 
Khodami, S., Asanloo, B., & Mohammadi, M. (2020). Designing a model of loyalty to the tourist destination brand based on the combined role of destination brand experience, destination brand personality and destination brand equity from the perspective of foreign tourists. Tourism and Development, 9(4), 97-110. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jtd.2020.207717.1881 
Khezerloo, A. (2022). Investigating the factors affecting the loyalty of tourists to urban tourism destinations Case study: Khoy city. Urban Tourism, 9(3), 119-135. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22059/jut.2022.336605.993 
Kiani Faizabadi, Z. (2018). Factors affecting loyalty to the tourism destination with the mediating role of tourist satisfaction (Case study: Kashan city). Urban Tourism, 5(4), 105-120. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22059/jut.2018.239030.366 
Lincoln, Y., and Guba, E. (1982). Epistemological and methodological bases of naturalistic inquiry. Educational Technology Research and Development ,30:233-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765185 
Lv, X., and McCabe, S. (2020). Expanding theory of tourists’ destination loyalty: The role of sensory impressions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104026 
Mofidi, F., Ganji, M. R., & Javanbakht, A. (2024). Sociological components of tourism development. The First National Conference on Examining the Potentials of Entrepreneurship, Employment and Sustainable Development. (in Persian)
Molaei, A., Rezaei Dolatabadi, H., & Bahramian, S. (2018). Measuring the impact of socio-cultural factors on loyalty to the tourism destination brand (Case study: Isfahan city). Geography and Urban-Regional Planning, 8(29), 1-18. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22111/gaij.2018.4238 
Omidzadeh, R., Zarranezhad, M., Kangarani Farahani, A., & Hemmati, M. (2023). An analysis of tourism destination branding pattern with emphasis on social networks with a sociological approach. Sociological Research, 17(3), 28-50. (in Persian)
Qiu, N, and et al. (2024). He studies on the relationship between perceived value, satisfaction, and tourist loyalty at industrial heritage sites, Heliyon,10(1):1-13
Ramezanzadeh Lesboei, M., Mirzaei, R., & Ghanbari, R. (2019). Aesthetic quality, service quality and positive experience on the amount of tourist loyalty (Case study: Savadkuh forest areas). Tourism Planning and Development, 8(31), 39-53. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22080/jtpd.2019.15619.2987 
Rezaei, M. R., Orouji, H., & Alasarpanaei, Z. (2023). Evaluation and strategic analysis of improving the level of loyalty in tourism destinations (Case study: Yazd city). Urban Social Geography, 10(1), 229-248. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22103/JUSG.2023.2098 
Rezaei, M. R., Moradi Ramaghani, R., Akbarian Ronizi, S. R., & Lashgari Tafreshi, E. (2021). Evaluating the impact of security on tourists’ loyalty to the destination with emphasis on the mediating role of satisfaction and destination image (Case study: Foreign tourists of Shiraz). Urban Social Geography, 8(2), 109-132. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22103/JUSG.2021.2049 
Suprina, R and et al. (2023). Exploring tourist loyalty in metropolitan city of indonesia, Journal of Eastern Eropan and Central Asian Research, 10(4):580-588.
Torkan, R., Tabrizi, N., & Ramezanzadeh, M. (2024). Investigating the factors affecting tourists’ loyalty to coastal destinations (Case study: Coasts of Mazandaran Province). Smart Era Tourism Management Studies, 1(1), 175-188. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22072/tmsse.2024.722006     
Wang L and Li X. (2023). The five influencing factors of tourist loyalty: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 18(4):1-21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283963 
Yolal, M., Chi, C. G. Q., and Pesamaa, O. (2017). Examine destination loyalty of first-time and repeat visitors at all-inclusive resorts, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(7):1834-1853. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2015-0293 
Journal of Tourism Planning and Development
Volume 14, Issue 54
September 2025
Pages 39-62

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics