The present study about the pilgrimage to Mecca aims to: (i) identify the motivational dimensions of the demand for religious tourism, (ii) determine the segments of the demand for religious tourism, (iii) establish the relationship between the segments and socio-demographic aspects, and (iv) establish the relationship between tourist segments and their satisfaction and loyalty in the religious tourism destination of Mecca. The research was carried out on pilgrims who had visited Mecca who lived in Bahrain, a country located on the Persian Gulf, where most of its population is Muslim. The sample consisted of 350 surveys obtained online. A factor and K-means clusters analysis were used to reduce and group the data. The results show three motivational dimensions: religious, social and cultural, and shopping. Additionally, there were also three segments of demand: the “Multiple motives,” with high scores in all the motivational variables, the “Passive tourists” with low levels of motivation and the “Religious,” with motivations in variables related to religion. The “Multiple motives” and the “Religious” segments had high satisfaction and loyalty levels. The results will serve as guides for the management of religious destinations and contribute to the academic literature on this subject.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused education systems to embrace remote schooling and online learning. In the context of this dramatic change, the principal's role has also changed. Instead of interacting face to face, school leaders had to become distant leaders operating digitally. The field has no knowledge of digital instructional leadership. The study used new and adapted measures to explore principals’ digital instructional leadership, its mechanisms of operation, and its outcomes. In particular, the research examined how digital instructional leadership affects perceived student learning in online settings through teachers’ intrinsic motivation for digital instruction (i.e. the mediator). The study used data from 380 teachers in Bahrain. Results indicated support for mediation. This is an empirical exploratory study, and therefore it is limited in scope. Nevertheless, its concepts, measures, and findings offer valuable contributions to research and practice. The limitations, findings, and implications of the study are discussed. The significance of the study derives from the growing incorporation of hybrid schooling in education and digital instructional leadership practices in mainstream principalship.

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Food festivals have been a growing tourism sector in recent years due to their contributions to a region’s economic, marketing, brand, and social growth. This study analyses the demand for the Bahrain food festival. The stated objectives were: i) To identify the motivational dimensions of the demand for the food festival, (ii) To determine the segments of the demand for the food festival, and (iii) To establish the relationship between the demand segments and socio-demographic aspects. The food festival investigated was the Bahrain Food Festival held in Bahrain, located on the east coast of the Persian Gulf. The sample consisted of 380 valid questionnaires and was taken using social networks from those attending the event. The statistical techniques used were factorial analysis and the K-means grouping method. The results show five motivational dimensions: Local food, Art, Entertainment, Socialization, and Escape and novelty. In addition, two segments were found; the first, Entertainment and novelties, is related to attendees who seek to enjoy the festive atmosphere and discover new restaurants. The second is Multiple motives, formed by attendees with several motivations simultaneously. This segment has the highest income and expenses, making it the most important group for developing plans and strategies. The results will contribute to the academic literature and the organizers of food festivals.

PurposeReligious tourism is one of the oldest and fastest-growing segments. This study analyzes religious tourism through the pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca and has the following objectives: (1) establish the motivational dimensions of religious tourism; (2) identify the motivational dimensions that predict the satisfaction of religious tourism and (3) determine the motivational dimensions that predict return, recommend and say positive things about religious tourism applied to the pilgrimage to a sacred city.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of Muslim pilgrims who had visited Mecca. The sample was collected in Bahrain, a country located on the Persian Gulf, where most of its population is Muslim. A total of 380 valid questionnaires were obtained online. For the data analysis, factorial analysis and the multiple regression method enter were performed.FindingsThe results show that religious motivations are more important when visiting a sacred city than secular ones. Three motivational dimensions were found: religious, social and cultural and shopping. The three dimensions found have a significant relationship with satisfaction and loyalty. Likewise, it was found that the religious motivational dimension is the factor that most predicts satisfaction and loyalty in the behavior of religious visits to a sacred city.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the present study was the temporality in which the sample was taken because the demand may vary at another time of the year and therefore vary its results.Practical implicationsThe authors of the study recommend that holy cities increase the religious motivations of these travelers by periodically researching their needs and organizing services to suit their desired spiritual experience. Also, to improve the social and cultural part, travel agencies and tourist companies to Mecca should promote social and cultural motivation among travelers in an appropriate way by providing service packages that involve visits to cultural and social sites such as museums and cultural centers.Social implicationsThis research will serve as a management guide for public institutions and private companies to develop more efficient planning in religious destinations and sacred cities.Originality/valueThis study is the first to analyze the construct of motivations in the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, to then establish what the main motivations are that predict satisfaction and loyalty in a religious city. Thus, its results provide important information for tourist destination managers and tourism service providers.