The Influence of Interpretation through Guiding Tour, Quality of Reception and Relics’ Worship on the Satisfaction of Pilgrims Attending the Iasi Feast

Abstract

Recently, in line with the increased attention paid to cultural tourism in general and to religious tourism in particular, researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in the analysis of various aspects related to cultural heritage in order to capitalize on its value by means of its interpretation, thus providing beneficial effects both for tourists and for tourism’s sustainable development. The aim of this research is to analyze the extent to which the methods of interpretation of the religious cultural heritage: guiding tours, quality reception, and relic worship influence the satisfaction of tourists participating in the “Saint Parascheva” pilgrimage, held annually by the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi. The data were collected by means of a survey (N = 932) and the information was processed by using the SPSS version 25 program. Our results indicate the significant influence that the potential to worship relics has on pilgrims’ satisfaction compared to other interpretation methods, such as the relationship with the Cathedral’s staff or the possibility of participating in guided tours. Pilgrims’ satisfaction is also perceived differently depending on certain aspects of their socio-demographic profile, i.e., their age and the perceived faith level. This study is relevant for researchers, managers, and students interested in the field of cultural heritage interpretation in genera, and in the field of religious heritage in particular, and could significantly contribute to improving pilgrims’ satisfaction as well as cultural heritage preservation.

Sociodemographic relationships of motivations, satisfaction, and loyalty in religious tourism: A study of the pilgrimage to the city Mecca

“…They found that gender, age, occupation and academic background had no significant difference in customer satisfaction. In contrast, Tatarusanu, et al [ 54 ] investigated participating in the Saint Parascheva pilgrimage organized annually by Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi, Romania. They found that only age and faith significantly impacted on satisfaction among the socio-demographic aspects of the study (age, education, area, income, gender, and faith).…”

“…Pilgrims with high and low income are more satisfied than those with average income. Another study about tourists participating in the “Saint Parascheva” pilgrimage, Romania, found that age variable is the only one among socio-demographic aspects that influenced the pilgrims’ satisfaction, which is attributed to the high level of faith among them [ 54 ]. Moreover, religious tourism does not indicate a relationship between sociodemographic variables and loyalty.…”

Polarization among Stakeholders Perception on the Interpretation of Ecotourism Resources in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park

“…One of the considerations that can improve services to visitors in the national park area is by involving more interpreters in the national park area (Dileep Kumar et al, 2020). In order to achieve optimum tourist satisfaction, interpretation programs and guided trips must be encouraged more optimally by the managers of the national park area (Moscardo, 2017;Beattie & Schneider, 2018;Xiang et al, 2020;Tatarusanu et al, 2021). Furthermore, one of the weaknesses in the implementation of the traveling method is the motivation of tourists in accepting the presence of a guide/interpreter on their tour.…”

“…The method of traveling around and telling stories is an appropriate method of involving the community. This method is a better approach for gaining emotional engagement with the landscape and its culture (Moscardo, 2017;Qi et al, 2017;Gao et al, 2018;Tatarusanu et al, 2021). In addition, this method can absorb a larger number of people to accompany tourists during the holiday seasons.…”

The Polarization of Orientation Among Stakeholders on Interpretation Subjects at Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park

“…It's different when looking at a frog or aquatic plant around the waterfall. It is not discussed as it is not interesting and unrelated to satisfy the audience`s recreational needs (Moscardo, 2017;Tatarusanu, Butnaru, Nita, Neculaesei, & Ciortescu, 2021).…”