Structural-Interpretive Modeling of Factors Affecting the Development of Religious Tourism in Iran by Future Research Approach

Religious tourism is one of the most common forms of tourism in the world, and tourism industry experts believe that in terms of Iran's culturally-specific religious status, among other countries, The purpose of the present study is to model the factors influencing the development of religious tourism in Iran with a future research approach and designing the relationship between these factors. The research method is descriptive-analytical. Content analysis method was used to identify the effective factors of religious tourism development. In the interpretive structural modeling section, expert opinions of tourism experts and research centers have been used through the Delphi method. Data were collected through interviews and a two-way questionnaire and face validity was used to assess the validity of the questionnaire. The relationships between the factors affecting the development of religious tourism in Iran have been determined using integrated analytical structural modeling (ISM) and analyzed by MICMAC analysis. Effectiveness and effectiveness on other factors were identified and classified. The findings of the study showed that planning, policy-making and full oversight of the religious tourism industry with the influence of the 8 most influential factors as well as the effective factors of the government's non-intervention in the programs of privatization and establishment of tourism academic discipline. Religion has the least influence with the power of influence 2.