Strategic policy of religious tourism with emphasis on the competitiveness of the holy cities of the Shiites of the Islamic world: a case example of the holy city of Karbala

One of the important tools to better present activities towards the specified goals is strategic planning. In fact, strategic planning can be used as an answer to the issues and problems that may occur in the tourism industry. In the core of tourism, such as all business activities, a "tourism strategy" should be drawn. The Meta-SWOT model is a program consisting of one title window and seven shell windows, which aims to guide decision-makers in a coherent and integrated process as well as create a ranked list of strategic priorities. Whereas decision-makers may change their assessments during a planning activity, this tool allows unlimited revisions of institutions. The present study aimed at developing tourism in Karbala city has introduced the Meta-SWOT strategic model in the field of urban tourism for the first time. The study used a descriptive - analytical method. The method of collecting data and analyzing the required information is documented and scrolling. Meta-SWOT analytical method was used to formulate a development strategy and describe the goals, resources, capabilities and environmental factors. The results showed that the most important factor in the development of tourism in the city of Karbala was the Integrated Management, the development of urban infrastructure, the existence of a suitable budget for the municipality of Karbala, the construction and equipping of suitable spaces and security and satisfaction, the holding of special religious rituals and ceremonies during the month of Muharram.