MODELING VISITOR BEHAVIOR IN RELIGIOUS TOURISM: MEDIATING AND MODERATING EFFECTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE SITES IN JORDAN

Abstract

Religious tourism has emerged as a significant sector within global tourism, influencing visitor behavior, destination development, and spiritual experiences. Jordan, which is home to several Christian holy sites recognized by the Vatican in 2000, is quite important in terms of pilgrimage, but from a practical perspective, it has still not been fully studied. Understanding the factors that affect visitors' satisfaction and their intention to revisit is crucial for the maintenance of religious tourism sites. This study aims to analyze the behavior of visitors within the scope of religious tourism at five Christian holy sites in Jordan recognized by the Vatican. Specifically, it examines the relationships between travel motivati on, religious tourism experience, religious tourism potential, perceived challenges, overall satisfaction, and re-tourism intention. Data were collected from 500 visitors using a convenience sampling technique. The study employed Smart PLS 4 software to analyze the data through partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The proposed hypotheses were tested to assess direct, mediating, and moderating relationships among the study variables. The findings reveal significant relationships among the examined constructs. Visit motivation has a strong positive influence on re-tourism intention. Religious tourism experience and overall satisfaction act as significant mediators in this relationship. Furthermore, religious tourism potential and perceived challenges moderate the effect of visit motivation on re-tourism intention. The study advances religious tourism theory by integrating motivational, experiential, and contextual factors within a single framework. Practically, the findings provide valuable insights for Jordanian tourism authorities and destination stakeholders to enhance visitor experiences, address challenges, and strengthen the sustainability of religious tourism in the region.