Analysis of the Impact of Cultural Capital on ‌‌Visiting Cultural Heritage Attractions  (Case Study: Domestic Tourists)

Mohammadi, Forouzan; Moazen Jamshidi, Homa; Torabi Farsani, Neda

doi:10.22034/toc.2025.493430.1176

Analysis of the Impact of Cultural Capital on ‌‌Visiting Cultural Heritage Attractions (Case Study: Domestic Tourists)

https://doi.org/10.22034/toc.2025.493430.1176

Volume 6, Issue 21
Summer 2025

Pages 36-47

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Forouzan Mohammadi ¹

Homa Moazen Jamshidi ¹

Neda Torabi Farsani ²

¹ Department of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Iran.

² Department of Museum and Tourism, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

The travel and tourism industry plays a pivotal role in the global economy and society. From an economic point of view, there is a distinction between general tourism and cultural tourism. Due to its abundant tangible and intangible cultural heritage, Iran has significant potential for cultural tourism. Given the economic importance of tourism, particularly cultural tourism, this study examines factors influencing Visiting cultural heritage attractions, with an emphasis on cultural capital. Factors affecting visitation are categorized into supply-side (facilities available at cultural heritage attractions) and demand-side factors, including tourists’ cultural capital. Cultural capital in this study refers to the accumulated cultural capital of tourists measured by indicators such as frequent visits, education, income, and age. The research adopts a descriptive-causal methodology, targeting domestic tourists through a researcher-made questionnaire. Due to the large population, 384 questionnaires were randomly distributed online. Data were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. The results reveal that cultural capital variables, including age, employment, and frequent visits have positive significant influence on visitation, while the variable of income status for households with high and upper-middle income class has a negative significant influence on visitation. Among supply-side variables, advertising, restaurants, cultural product stores, and reduced congestion have the most positive significant effect on cultural heritage attractions visits.

Keywords

Cultural Capital

Cultural Heritage Attractions

Cultural Tourism

Regression Analysis

Subjects

Tourism of culture

Apostolakis, A., & Jaffry, S. (2006). Correcting for sample selection bias in stated preference tourist surveys. Tourism Economics, 12(3), 451-468. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000006778493600
Apostolakis, A., & Jaffry, S. (2007). The effect of cultural capital on the probability to visit cultural heritage attractions. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 1(1), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTP.2007.013895
Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Harvard University Press.
Bulut, S. H., & Ciftci, E. Z. (2024). Effect of cultural capital on creative culinary process: Mediating role of critical thinking disposition. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 35, 100874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.100874
DiMaggio, P., & Mukhtar, T. (2004). Arts participation as cultural capital in the United States, 1982–2002: Signs of decline?. Poetics, 32(2), 169-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2004.02.005
Eghbali, S., Azimi Hashemi, M., & Bakhshi, H. (2016). Typology of Cultural Tourism Action (Case Study: Mashhad pilgrims and tourists). Social Studies in Tourism, 6(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.52547/journalitor.35131.3.6.1
Emamgholi, S., & Salehi, S. (2023). The role of cultural capital in supporting the development of cruises (Case study: Nowshahr coastal city). Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 12(47), 7-27. https://doi.org/10.22080/jtpd.2023.26031.3828
Ghaffari, G., & Moaven, Z. (2013). A study of the share of social and cultural capitals in the tendency to tourism in two sites: Persepolis and Hafezieh in Shiraz. Sociological Cultural Studies, 4(1), 113-127.
Greene, W. H. (2003). Econometric analysis. Prentice Hall.
Hanquinet, L. (2016). Place and cultural capital: art museum visitors across space. Museum and Society, 14(1), 65-81. https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/100728/
Hosseini, H., & Matlabi Saraji, N. (2014). بررسی رابطۀ بین برخورداری از انواع سرمایه و گردشگری (مورد مطالعه: دانشگاه پیام نور ساری) [Examining the relationship between different types of capital and tourism (Case study: Payame Noor University of Sari)]. Iranian Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 12(45), 23-42. [in Persian]
Kastenholz, E., Carneiro, M. J., & Eusébio, C. (2005). The impact of socio-demographics on tourist behavior–analyzing segments of cultural tourists visiting Coimbra. Atlas Cultural Tourism Research Project, 1-18.
Klimczuk, A. (2015). Cultural Capital. In: Cook, D. T., & Ryan, J. M. (Ed.), The wiley-blackwell concise encyclopedia of consumption and consumer studies (pp. 209-214). Wiley-Blackwell. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118989463.wbeccs083
Mir, M., & Kakavand, M. (2016). بررسی رابطۀ سرمایۀ فرهنگی و گرایش به توریسم فرهنگی درمیان جوانان [Examining the Relationship between Cultural Capital and Attitude towards Cultural Tourism among Youth]. 3rd International Conference on Modern Research in Humanities. [in Persian] https://civilica.com/doc/513377/
Nazari, M., Esfidani, M. R., & Tabatabaee, S. M. (2017). A gravity model analysis on determinants of tourism flow to Iran. Journal of Economic Research, 52(1), 215-243. https://doi.org/10.22059/jte.2017.59618
Poon, A. (1993). Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies. CAB International.
Qaderi, E. (2024). مقدمه‌ای بر جغرافیای جهانگردی ایران [An introduction to the geography of tourism in Iran]. Mahkameh. [in Persian]
Quaglione, D., Crociata, A., Agovino, M., & Iaia, L. (2020). Cultural capital and online purchase of tourism services. Annals of Tourism Research, 80, 102797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102797
Reeves, A., & De Vries, R. (2019). Can cultural consumption increase future earnings? Exploring the economic returns to cultural capital. The British Journal of Sociology, 70(1), 214-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12374
Richards, G. (1996). Production and consumption of European cultural tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(2), 261-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(95)00063-1
Richards, G. (2001). Cultural attractions and European tourism. CABI Pub.
Sullivan, A. (2008). Cultural capital, cultural knowledge and ability. Sociological Research Online, 12(6), 91-104. https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.1596
Vosoughi, L., & Khani, F. (2016). مروری بر مبانی، رویکردها و مدل‎های ‎ برنامه ریزی گردشگری [A review of the foundations, approaches, and models of tourism planning]. Mehkhameh. [in Persian]
Zahedi, M., Akbari, N., Emadzadeh, M., Khosh akhlagh, R., & Ranjbarian, B. (2018). The effective Factors of Tourism Demand in Cultural-Historical Destinations: Case of Isfahan. Urban Economics, 3(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.22108/ue.2018.79476.0

XML

PDF 492.2 K

Full Text in second language