Visit Motivation of Tourists in Church Buildings: Amending the Phelan-Bauer-Lewalter Scale for Visit Motivation by a Religious Dimension

Abstract

ABSTRACTPeople often visit churches for touristic reasons. Studies indicate that these tourists share both secular motives and religious ones. An instrument to assess these motives, however, still is not available. This paper addresses that desideratum by amending the Phelan-Bauer-Lewalter-Scale for Visit Motivation (PBLS-VM) by (a) engaging with religious practice inside the church, (b) feeling the presence of God, and (c) experiencing subjective-life spirituality. Tourists in nine major cathedrals across Germany completed the amended PBLS-VM (N = 771; age: M = 46, SD = 18.04; 58% females). Leaving out the sub-scale social enjoyment, the amended PBLS-VMR shows a very moderate model-fit (RMSEA = .067, CFI = .93, SRME = .052). The observed mean differences in the sub-scales are plausible. In consequence, the amended PBLS-VMR represents a step further in the assessment of tourists’ motivation in visiting church buildings. Research using this measurement tool contributes to a better understanding of the cultural relevance of Christian heritage in modern societies.