Religious Tourism Development Strategies in Qom Province: Using and Comparing QSPM and Best Worst Methods

• Main Authors: Hooshang Asheghi-Oskooee, Marzieh Ramezanzadeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Technological University Dublin
• Series: International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
• Subjects: Qom Province; religious tourism; QSPM matrix; SWOT matrix; Best Worst Method (BWM)
• Online Access: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol8/iss8/4

After Mashhad county, Qom province has the most valuable religious, cultural, historical and natural potential as the second Iranian pilgrimage centre. This study was conducted to formulate strategies for the development of religious tourism in Qom province using the most influential view of the strategy-formation process named design school. This school normally uses External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix, SWOT Matrix, QSPM matrix, and some other tools. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were determined using IFE and EFE matrices. The SWOT matrix was prepared and then the proper strategies for the development of religious tourism in Qom province (hold and maintain strategies or ST strategies) were determined using the Internal-External (IE) Matrix in the next step. Extracted ST strategies were prioritised using the QSPM and five strategies were proposed respectively. This study used the Best-Worst Method (BWM) to prioritise the created strategies in addition to QSPM this aims at developing strategic planning methodology. The results of the BWM were compared to the QSPM and the priority of the second and third strategies were modified. The priority of the first, fourth and fifth strategies is the same in the two methods. Moreover, the correlation coefficient between the results of the two methods was calculated. This shows a similarity of approximately 95 percent. So, it seems using the BWM method is more cost-effective than QSPM, due to saving time and cost.