Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 M.Sc. Student in Tourism Management, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
2 استادیار گروه موزه و گردشگری دانشگاه هنر اصفهان
3 Associate Professor, Economics and Entrepreneurship Dept., Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
4 Invited Assistant Professor, Museum & Tourism Dept., Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
The potential of spiritual events in international tourism and regenerative tourism motivated this study, aiming to inform developmental planning through the analysis of tourists’ lived experiences. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected via in-depth interviews with 28 purposively selected participants who had directly experienced spiritual events. Analysis followed Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method, resulting in 57 statements across five main dimensions and the development of a conceptual model. The model, consistent with regenerative tourism principles, highlights the centrality of narration, participation, and experience. It functions as a feedback cycle in which positive outcomes of lived experience reinforce attraction and experience transfer, fostering the dynamism, renewal, and continuous regeneration of experiences within spiritual events. This framework provides a practical foundation for planners and policymakers to enhance both individual and collective benefits while supporting sustainable and transformative development in spiritual tourism.
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