Effects of Travel Motivation on Image Destination: Najaf City as a Case Study

Abstract

Travel motives are one of the most important subjects that has engaged academics since the 1960s in their quest to understand the reasons that lead tourists to decide to travel and how to pick tourist destinations. Knowing the travel motivations accurately leads to a clear understanding of the tourist's behaviour and the best tourist attractions, noting that the importance of such knowledge lies in the fact that it allows for meeting the needs and desires of the tourist that correspond to the travel motivations. The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons for travel and how travellers choose certain tourist sites from a variety of possibilities. Additionally, researchers are examining how to address the requirements and desires of tourists who have chosen this destination. The study used Najaf, Iraq, as a case study to analyse the reasons for visiting the city and how to instil a positive image of the place in the minds of people who come and return. The results of study confirmed the reality of the impact of the image of the destination on attracting tourist destinations and encouraging tourists to visit it. Finally, to achieve a favourable tourist image, the combination of the cognitive and emotional aspects of the destination image is an influential factor.