Precursors of Employee Engagement in Travel Agencies to Enrich the Religious Tourist Experience

Employee engagement among travel agency employees is integral to the successful promotion of religious tourism. Religious tourism is a niche sector that demands a deep understanding of diverse faiths, cultures, and traditions, as well as a high degree of sensitivity to cater for the spiritual and emotional needs of travellers. Engaged employees possess a profound knowledge of religious destinations, historical context, and cultural nuances, allowing them to offer insightful guidance and recommendations to travellers. Moreover, engaged employees are more inclined to deliver exceptional customer service, by attentively addressing the specific requirements and preferences of religious travellers in ways that resonate with their spiritual and emotional aspirations. Considering the importance of employee engagement, the present study aims to examine the mediating role of perceived organisational support in the relationship between structural empowerment and employee engagement. The data were collected from 239 travel agency employees through a survey questionnaire and the researchers utilised Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS 23 and PROCESS macro to analyse the data and test the study’s hypotheses. In this research, it was found that the empowering organisational structures have a considerable impact on employee engagement, and this influence can be observed both directly and indirectly through the mediating effect of POS. The study’s results may serve as a beneficial reference for organisations seeking to increase employee engagement at work by providing structural empowerment and fostering a supportive organisational culture.