Identifying and Prioritizing Motives of Domestic Tourists for Traveling to Kerman City: A Descriptive Study

Understanding the motivations behind tourists' decision to travel to a particular region greatly contributes to comprehending their behavior. This study aims to identify, categorize, and prioritize the motives of domestic tourists who choose to travel to Kerman city. The research methodology employed an applied approach, a descriptive nature, and utilized a mixed data type. The collection of research data involved the utilization of field and library methods. The statistical population for this study consisted of domestic tourists who visited Kerman city in March 2022 and were accessible for the researcher. The research sampling method used was non-probability sampling, specifically employing the easy or available sampling type. The identification and categorization of tourists' motives were achieved through the application of the Exploratory Factor Analysis method, while the prioritization of the identified motives was conducted using the TOPSIS method. The results of the data analysis demonstrated that the motives of domestic tourists for traveling to Kerman city encompassed the following aspects: the desire to visit historical-cultural attractions, religious motives, work-related motives, motives related to the economic benefits of travel, motives associated with group travel, motives to visit friends and relatives, shopping motives, entertainment and recreational motives, nostalgia, appreciation of the natural environment, and learning motives.