Analysis of the Position of Religious Tourism in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Enhancing Convergence with Neighboring Countries (A Case Study: Iraq)

Religious tourism, as a key subset of the tourism industry, plays a significant role in the economic and cultural development of countries and in strengthening regional convergence. Iran, with its rich religious and cultural capacities and numerous shrines and holy sites, has considerable potential to become a major destination for religious tourism, particularly for Muslim tourists from neighboring countries such as Iraq. This study evaluates the position of religious tourism in the Islamic Republic of Iran in enhancing convergence with neighboring countries, focusing on Iraq. The research is applied and developmental in purpose, and descriptive–analytical and survey-based in method. The statistical population consists of experts, scholars, and managers in the fields of cultural heritage, tourism, foreign affairs, and geopolitics. Using a snowball sampling method, 40 respondents were selected. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean) and inferential statistics based on Likert-scale evaluations were analyzed in SPSS. The findings identify four main dimensions affecting religious tourism and convergence: relational, contextual, procedural, and structural. Tourism policies and diplomacy, as well as procedural and structural factors, are in a relatively weak and critical state, whereas contextual factors are more favorable. Major challenges to economic and cultural convergence between Iran and Iraq include insufficient infrastructure, political and economic constraints, weak advertising and marketing, poor destination management, and a lack of diversity in tourism services and experiences. The study concludes that improving religious tourism and enhancing convergence with Iraq require coordinated planning, effective tourism diplomacy, and closer bilateral cooperation between the two countries.