Group Convergence and Social Conduct of the Residents of the Persian Gulf Region with an Emphasis on Tourism

The huge oil and gas reserves of the Persian Gulf, which have granted it great geostrategic, geo-politic, and geo-economic significance, have directed the relationships among the countries of this region towards a kind of divergence. Investigations indicate that some elements such as disagreements over land and borderlines, regional wars, leaders’ lack of sufficient awareness of the particular status of the Persian Gulf in the world, existence of certain traditional and ethnic beliefs and ideas, influence of Islamophobia, penetration of international thoughts and ideologies in the region, and the presence of trans-regional powers have led to the insecurity of this region. Therefore, it is of prime importance to study this issue more than ever before and find some strategies in order to decrease the insecurity of the Persian Gulf region and promote the convergence of the countries there. Since tourism is a transdisciplinary industry which not only affects but also is affected by several social, natural, cultural, economic, and political factors, it appears that a study of the historical, social, and economic features of the countries in the Persian Gulf region within the framework of tourism could reveal the factors leading to their convergence. Hence, in this study, through benefitting from library sources, tables, and figures, the researchers have tried to investigate the roles and significance of the countries in this region, the factors leading to their convergence, and the impact of tourism on consolidating their relationships for the purpose of attaining regional or world power.