Exploring The Future Behavioural Intentions of Tourists Towards Religious Tourism Destinations in Tamil Nadu

Innasimuthu Palraj; Robert Bellarmine Francis Xavier

doi:10.69980/redvet.v25i2.2433

Innasimuthu Palraj
Robert Bellarmine Francis Xavier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v25i2.2433

Keywords: Religious Tourism, Future Behavioural Intentions, Revisit Intention, Referral Intention, Promotional Intention, Tourist Satisfaction, Tamil Nadu Tourism.

Abstract

Religious tourism is one of the most important segments of the tourism industry in Tamil Nadu due to the presence of ancient temples, sacred shrines, and vibrant cultural traditions. The present study examines the socio-demographic profile of tourists and analyses their future behavioural intentions towards religious tourism destinations in Tamil Nadu. Primary data were collected from 384 tourists through a structured questionnaire using the convenience sampling method. The findings of the study reveal that the majority of the respondents are male, married, belong to the age group of 31–40 years, and are residents within Tamil Nadu. The study further identifies that revisit intention has the highest mean score among the dimensions of future behavioural intentions, followed by referral intention and promotional intention. The study concludes that improving destination management practices, visitor facilities, and tourism services can strengthen tourist loyalty and promote sustainable religious tourism development in Tamil Nadu.

Author Biographies

Innasimuthu Palraj

Reg. No: 22211281011001 PG & Research Department of Commerce, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai – 627 002 Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu, India.

Robert Bellarmine Francis Xavier

Assistant Professor, PG & Research Department of Commerce, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai – 627 002 Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu, India.

References

1. Chen, H., & Rahman, I. (2022). Cultural tourism, destination image, and revisit intention among religious tourists. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 23, 100671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100671
2. Gupta, V., & Singh, A. (2023). Tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions in spiritual tourism destinations in India. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(4), 567–581. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2022.2039147
3. Jerald, A. A. J., & Periyasami, N. (2023). Services quality in religious tourism with reference to Navagraha temples in Thanjavur District. Journal of Advanced Zoology, 44(Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.53555/jaz.v44iS.4247
4. Kamenidou, I., & Stavrianea, A. (2022). Memorable tourism experiences and revisit intention in monastery tourism. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 20(6), 845–862. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2022.2037175
5. Kayal, G. (2023). Tourist motivations and behavioural intentions towards religious tourism destinations in Saudi Arabia. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 23(4), 512–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231124567
6. Kumar, S., & Rajesh, R. (2022). Problems and prospects of pilgrimage tourism in South India. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S2), 12085–12092. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS2.8213
7. Prayag, G., Hosany, S., & Odeh, K. (2022). The role of memorable tourism experiences in shaping destination loyalty and revisit intentions. Journal of Travel Research, 61(5), 1045–1060. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211008218
8. Sharma, P., & Nayak, J. K. (2021). Tourist experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in religious tourism. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 16(2), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2020.1796052