Investigating the Impact of Intangible Attractions on Development of Tourism in Islamic Cities (Case Study of Tabriz Metropolis)

In today's world, attractions for tourist destinations have become more similar to each other due to the globalization process and focus on tangible and physical elements, particularly in urban destinations. Therefore, developing tourism destinations of Islamic cities and its ultimate goal- i.e. differentiating destinations- has now a day become a difficult and low-impact process. In addition, it also seems that focus on the situation of intangible attractions of these cities can help to develop their Islamic tourism due to the original nature and locational root of heritage and folklore in Islamic cities. The purpose of the research was to study the impacts of intangible attraction on the development of tourism in Islamic cities. In this regard, constructs and conceptual framework of the research were designed after studying theoretical foundations and research background. The research type was descriptive-survey research in which convenience-sampling method was used. The sample size was 384 citizens of arrival tourists to Tabriz City. 384 person were considered for the minimum sample size required to complete questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data and test hypotheses through Smart PLS software. Findings showed that tourism intangible attractions significantly affect the development of tourism in Islamic cities. In addition, findings indicated that tourism intangible attractions significantly affect the dimensions of developing tourism in Islamic cities including perceived value and benefits, support and participation, and sustainable development.