Title: Modelling Indians' visit intentions to Ram Mandir: implications for temple committee and tourism policymakers

Authors: Devkant Kala; Dhani Shanker Chaubey

Addresses: School of Business, UPES, Dehradun, 248007, India ' Department of Management, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India

Abstract: This study examines religious, cultural, and social factors influencing Indians' intention to visit the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir (temple) in Ayodhya, India, using Consumer Cultural Theory. Employing quantitative methods, data was collected from 586 Indians, and hypotheses were tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Respondents rated 32 statements on religious beliefs, place attachment, cultural pride, destination image, media coverage, fear of missing out (FOMO), and visit intention. The results indicate that religious beliefs, place attachment, and cultural pride have positive relationships with destination image. FOMO emerged as the most influential factor in the relationship with visit intention, alongside religious beliefs, place attachment, cultural pride, media coverage, and destination image. This study enriches existing literature and provides insights into the factors driving visit intentions to Ram Mandir, highlighting the significant roles of FOMO and cultural pride. It offers practical implications for temple committees and policymakers to enhance religious and cultural tourism strategies.

Keywords: Ram Mandir; religious beliefs; cultural pride; FOMO; fear of missing out; visit intention; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2025.144174

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2025 Vol.15 No.1, pp.81 - 97

Received: 01 Jul 2024
Accepted: 22 Sep 2024
Published online: 30 Jan 2025 *

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