Identification of Effective Factors on Cultural Heritage Tourist's Satisfaction in Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh World Heritage Site

Regarding social trends in the contemporary world, cultural heritage tourists’ satisfaction has become more important than ever. The aim of this study was to measure the level of cultural heritage tourists’ satisfaction of Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh as World Heritage Site (WHS). Participants were 400 tourists who visited the universal ensemble of Sheikh Safi and were selected using convenience sampling method. The questionnaire included questions on the motivations of the visit, the satisfaction level of visiting various parts of the ensemble and the services, which were analyzed using SPSS software after finalizing. The results showed the low satisfaction rate of tourists which did not meet WHS standards. There was a high dissatisfaction rate especially among educated people. The study revealed that the satisfaction of cultural heritage tourists on visiting the sites were not considered important for authorities and officials of the Cultural Heritage Organization in Iran; however, tourists’ satisfaction is one of the main factors of sustainable tourism development.