The Impact of Cultural and Religious Factors on the Choice of Tourist Destinations (A Comparative Study between Different Cultures)
Abstract
With an emphasis on Iraq's well-known religious tourism destinations, especially the sacred shrines in Karbala, Najaf, Samarra, and Hilla, this study explores the impact of cultural and religious variables on travellers' destination choices. The study points to a knowledge gap on how these elements influence traveller preferences and the inadequate marketing of these locations. The study intends to leverage cultural and religious aspects to strengthen Iraq's position as a top destination for religious tourism by applying a comparative and theoretical methodology. According to research, utilizing these elements might greatly boost religious tourism in Iraq and boost the country's economy. The study's conclusions emphasize how important it is to strategically develop and market holy places in order to draw both domestic and foreign tourists and support economic growth.
References
Abdul Amir, H. J. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al Tohme, S. H. (1964). Karbala Heritage. Karbala: Al-Alami Foundation for Publications.
Al-Ansari, R. M. A. (2008). Tourism in Iraq and Its Role in Development and Reconstruction. Beirut: Hadi Press for Pub-lishing and Distribution.
Al-Dulaimi, M. D. (2009). Geography of Tourism Development. Damascus: Dar Al-Furqan.
Al-Hasani, H. M. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Ibrahimi, A. A. S. (2010). The Most Prominent Tourist Attractions in the City of Babylon (Bachelor's thesis).
Al-Jashami, S. H. K. Religious Institutions and Ways to Develop the Tourism Reality in Najaf (Bachelor's thesis, University of Kufa).
Al-Khudairi, M. A. (1989). Tourism Marketing: An Integrated Economic Entrance. Cairo: Madbouly Library.
Al-Kaabi, A. S. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Nuwayni, M. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Nuwayni, M. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Qaisi, R. (1970). Minaret of the Jama Mosque in Samarra. Sumer Magazine, 26(1-2).
Al-Quraishi, A. A. (2008). Shrines and Shrines in Karbala. Beirut: House of Knowledge for the Prophets.
Al-Quraishi, A. A. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Tohme, A. H. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Al-Zanjani, I. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Maga-zine, 2(3).
Consulting Office of the College of Administration and Economics at Al-Mustansiriya University. (2016). Geo-graphical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Jawad, M. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Jawad, M. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Mahbouba, J. B. (1958). Najaf's Past and Present. Najaf: Al-Adab Press.
Matar, S., et al. (2016). Geographical and Tourist Features of the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Mohammed Al-Amin Authority. (2002, 2016). Holy Places in the World. Islamic Thought Foundation.
Mohammed Al-Amin Authority. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Mohammed, K. J. (1956). Lectures on Religious and Cultural Factors in Iraq. League of Arab States, Institute of Arab and World Studies.
Mustafa, M. H. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction to the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
The Scientific Academy of Ahl Al-Bayt. (2016). The Most Prominent Elements of Cultural Attraction for the Holy City of Karbala. Al-Sibt Magazine, 2(3).
Copyright (c) 2024 Athraa Abdul Bari Kadhim Al-Zuwaini, Ruqaia Ahmed Jumaa

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.