Tourist Experience

Most existing research on pilgrims and religious tourists has focused on their motivation, with limited attention to their actual experiences. This knowledge gap is particularly apparent in the Islamic context, where understanding the experiences of pilgrims and religious tourists is crucial for predicting their future behaviors. This paper aims to identify the key dimensions of pilgrims' and religious tourists' experiences during the Arba'een pilgrimage. To achieve this objective, a thorough review of the relevant literature was conducted, and appropriate questions were developed and refined through consultation with experts in the field. The target population for this study consisted of Iranian pilgrims who participated in the Arba'een pilgrimage. The researchers utilized a convenience sampling method to collect 229 completed questionnaires, which were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis in SPSS software. Through this analysis, the researchers identified six key dimensions that contributed to the experience of Arba'een pilgrims: spiritual and emotional, cognitive, interactive, pleasant, physical-bodily, and learning. This research suggests that while the primary motivation for pilgrims is a spiritual experience, other types of experiences can also enhance their overall pilgrimage experience. These findings have practical implications for destination managers, as they can use them to design various experiences that cater to the needs and preferences of different types of pilgrims.

Spiritual experiences are essential to individual well-being, offering profound emotional, psychological, and religious benefits. Pilgrimage sites, especially sacred spaces, provide a unique environment for pilgrims to experience personal renewal and spiritual transformation. This study investigates the spiritual experiences of young pilgrims at the Razavi Holy Shrine in Mashhad, Iran, a key pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims. Using an exploratory-descriptive qualitative approach and thematic analysis, the research identifies three main themes: Spiritual Well-being, Connectedness, and Consciousness, each with several subthemes. Spiritual Well-being encompasses positive emotions, energy, happiness, purification, and peace and tranquility, emphasizing the emotional uplift and inner peace experienced by pilgrims. Connectedness includes pilgrims’ connection with God, expressing needs and seeking divine favor, receiving blessings and assistance, and fostering ties with religion and holy leaders. This highlights the shrine’s role in deepening spiritual bonds and providing divine support. Consciousness involves experiences of detachment from routine life, timelessness, self-reflection, and religious awareness, illustrating how the pilgrimage fosters introspection and spiritual enlightenment. These findings contribute to the understanding of religious pilgrimage and spiritual transformation, offering valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and pilgrimage site administrators. Recognizing the dimensions of spiritual experiences can enhance spiritual tourism and guide future research on spiritual psychology and the transformative power of sacred spaces.

This study investigates the mediating role of mobile application satisfaction in the relationship between positive intercultural encounters, cultural intelligence, and tourist experience. It addresses a critical gap in understanding how digital tools facilitate meaningful cross-cultural engagement within tourism contexts. This applied, descriptive-analytical research was conducted among 371 tourists visiting Yazd Province, selected through simple random sampling. Validity was confirmed through convergent and discriminant validity assessments, and reliability was established via Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. Multivariate normality was confirmed. Subsequently, the hypothesized relationships were examined using SEM in Amos24, employing the robust Maximum Likelihood (MLR) estimation method to ensure robust parameter estimates. Results indicate that while the direct effects between intercultural encounters and cultural intelligence and tourist experience were nonsignificant, significant indirect effects emerged through mobile app satisfaction. Intercultural encounters positively predicted app satisfaction, which in turn enhanced cultural intelligence and tourist experience.  Bootstrapping confirmed significant mediation for cultural intelligence and tourist experience.  Mobile applications serve as pivotal conduits for transforming intercultural interactions into enhanced cultural competence and enriched travel experiences. These findings underscore the importance of digital infrastructure in modern tourism management and offer practical implications for experience design.