Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism in Rural Areas - Essay Example

?METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES of Learning Location of the School Methodological Approaches Introduction Researchers have developed tools that are important in ensuring that the research findings are reliable and valid. As such, the methodological approach that a researcher is going to use in conducting the research can influence the outcome of the research. Therefore, it is important that researchers evaluate the kind of methodological approaches that they use in a given field. The use of qualitative and qualitative approaches has been recommended in researches involving social sciences. Nevertheless, each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages that can affect the outcome of the research. In order to come up with reliable research, it is important the researcher have a good understanding of each approach and hence be able to choose which approach is going to be used in particular situations. This report presents a comparison of methodological approaches used in two researches by different researchers. The report compares the research methods used in the two articles and offers a comparative analysis of the articles. The articles indicated below; Pourtaheri1, M., Rahmani, K. & Ahmadi, H. 2012. Impacts of Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism in Rural Areas: The Case of Iran, Journal of Geography and Geology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 122-129 Haq, F., Jackson, J. & Wong, H. Y. 2012. Marketing spiritual tourism: qualitative interviews with private tourism operators in Pakistan, Central Queensland University. These articles have been chosen for various reasons. First the articles researches on key interesting topics that most researchers have never been undertaken. Therefore, the articles form a blueprint for further research in an interesting topic in the Arab countries. The other reason is that the articles are current and well researched with references and evidences included to back up the research process and the research finding. The final reason is that the articles have used two different approaches, one qualitative and the other quantitative thus presenting the learner with a good opportunity to compare the two research methodologies dealing with almost the same subject in the similar environment. The first article sought to find out religious and pilgrimage tourism impacted on the rural lives and used Iran as the case studies. The second article sought to find out how marketing of spiritual tourism was done and sought the views of tourism operators in Pakistan. The two articles therefore have a correlation in many aspects including the investigation of almost similar subject area tourism and the Islamic environment in which the tourism was practiced (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 122) The first article used a quantitative approach in the study by distributing closed questionnaires to a sample of 300 household. The questionnaires were designed in accordance with information collected from the literature review that the researchers had done before. This was important in designing the questions since the researcher had already collected information on tourism research and were acquainted with the dynamics of such type of research (Raj, R. & Morpeth, 2007). The researchers therefore wanted to build on the information they had collected in their literature and substantiated the findings of other researchers or come up with new knowledge religious and pilgrimage tourism and how it impacted on the rural lives in areas like Iran. The choice of Iran’s rural countryside was strategic in the sense that this would provide a better understanding of how religious tourism can change the perception of people especially in rural areas where tradition and cultural practices in the issues of religion and pilgrimage are dearly cherished by the residents. In using the questionnaires, the researchers employed a qualitative method in their study (Flick, 2009, p. 5). The study was carried out for two weeks through random sampling of households. Other characteristics that the researchers used in their sample were sex and age. In using the Likert-scale, the researchers ensured that the questions were closed to enable them collect only the relevant information (Ayres, 2007, p. 10). This therefore means that the respondents were not given the opportunity to explain their answers. Since the researcher were only interested in knowing how religious and pilgrimage tourism had impacted the lives of the rural people, they found it prudent to use a qualitative approach as this could allow them to use Likert scale in their formulation of simple questions. Another rationale that the researchers derived for using the qualitative approach was that the rural people would easily find it simple to answer questions that have multiple choices rather than those that required them to explain. The need to compute the results using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and analyze using One-sample T-test, Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey test in SPSS software also formed the rationale of using the qualitative approach in the study (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 124) The above research was underpinned by the fact that the respondents knew what tourism meant and could differentiate spiritual tourism and the normal tourism done for pleasure. The other underpinning was that the respondents were going to provide reliable information that was free from bias and exaggerations. Ultimately, the researchers’ literature review acted as a way of paving the way for their research as they were able to collect data they already have an idea what entails the influence of spiritual tourism on the lives of the rural people (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 124). Thus, the approach was interpretive in the approach as it was basing the questions on the findings already espoused in the literature review. Additionally, the researchers sought to find out indeed spiritual tourism had any impact or influence on the lives of the local people in the rural areas. However, they did not seek to find out if the locals themselves were impacted by the touring other areas for spiritual nourishment or people toured their areas as spiritual tourists The second research employed a different approach to their research as it used the qualitative approach. Unlike the first research that employed a larger sample (300) over a period or two weeks, the second sample employed a smaller sample (26) over a period of 8 months (Haq, Jackson & Wong, 2012, p. 1). The researchers of this study had done an intensive literature review to collect existing information on how the marketing industry in Pakistan reacted to spiritual tourism and the kind of mechanisms that tour operators were putting in place to ensure that they serve the spiritual tourists better. The secondary data is analyzed to give evidence of the marketability of spiritual tourism and the influence that the tour operator had on the success or stalling of the industry. a close look at the literature review had revealed that the marketing spiritual tourism services were an area that was just picking up with more people realizing that spiritual tours provided them with an opportunity to do business as tour operators. The study collected qualitative data through interviews with the tour operators in Pakistan. The use of a mix of semi-structured and structured questions was instrumental in collecting qualitative data as it gave the researcher to seek clarifications on what some of the respondents were implying (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, p. 12). As the interviews were done both in English and Urdu, a clarification for the misunderstanding because of languages also provided the researcher with more insight in the marketability of spiritual tourism in Pakistan. The researchers also used a session of 35 to 70 minutes to do their interviews with respondents objecting to recording as a means of collecting information. However, the researcher took notes of the responses which were later analyzed to give inferences of their findings. The research methodology also included mechanisms to keep anonymity of the respondents and thus the information could not be attributed to any particular respondent. This was done by dividing the respondents into three groups, and use of content analysis methods to analyze the responses of each group. The division of respondents was based on some characteristics tour operators who sold diverse range of tourism products and services encompassing 13 respondents. The respondents included companies that were registered by the government of Pakistan and provided services both to local and international tourists. The last group consisted 5 companies that were registered to give specialized religious, spiritual, and cultural tourism services to not only the Muslims but also Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian tourists. The rationale for adapting a quantitative approach to the collection of data by the researchers was informed by a number of reasons, among them the need to have a clarified information as to how different tour operators provided their products and services to tourists who were exclusively considered as spiritual tourists as opposed to the other normal tourists (Lapan, Quartaroli & Rieme, 2011, p. 23). Since the study narrowed down a particular group within the tourism sector, it is important to use a quantitative approach because it would give the respondent time to explain their answers. A further rationale was that some of the respondents probably did not have a clear differentiation between a spiritual tourist and a normal tourist. As such, the quantitative approach gave the research an opportunity to seek the indulgence of the respondent as to what they actually meant with their responses. This was important in ensuring that the study narrows down to the main objective. Whereas the first article used analysis tools to compare the data that was collected, the second article uses an in-depth analysis of the interview transcript through several reading and comparing them before deducing information that could be exemplar of the phenomenon that they were researching (Merriam, 2009, p. 3). Further, identification of patterns and similarity in the responses was noted and coded after a thorough assumptions and interpretations had been made, and the judgments made by the respondent on their views about spiritual tourism. In this research, the traditional underpinning was that the researchers were positive about marketing of spiritual tourism and were convinced that qualitative interviews with private tourism operators in Pakistan would provide them with the right kind of information. Ultimately, they determined that by listening to the tour operators themselves, they would be able to come up with conclusive findings on how spiritual tourism was supported by the tour operators in Pakistan. This is part of the reason they did not collect quantitative data since a qualitative approach to the services and products that were being provided by the tour operators would give them an overview of the activities involved in spiritual tourism in Pakistan (Patten, 2007, p. 11). Comparative analysis of methodologies and findings The first article reports that the government of Iran has played a key role through Tourism Model Villages in developing rural tourism as a key element in the development of rural areas. The development of these villages as a tourist destination, both spiritual and pilgrimage is supplementing the income through the provision of new job opportunities and revitalizing the traditional crafts industry. The other impact that spiritual and pilgrimage tourism have on the rural lives is the provision of infrastructure to the rural people including electricity and roads. Besides, the tourism is also preventing the migration of young people from the country side to town, something that would have put pressure on social amenities in cities while depriving the rural areas of important manpower. This is happening because the youth in rural areas can get accessed to employment opportunities right in their villages through religious and pilgrimage tourism. The social, economic, and physical impact that religious and pilgrimage tourism have to the development of rural communities is exhibited in the government’s investment in the development of infrastructures that can support both local and international tourism. Even though the destinations are designated as tourism sites for spiritual and pilgrimage tourism, they are also finding normal tourists who come to purchase the local crafts that are made by the villagers (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 126). This is indicated in the increase of the number of local people who are engaging in handcraft making and the proliferation of shopping centers in the rural areas who are coming up to take advantage of an increasing number of both local and international tourists. Several people and families are directly or indirectly involved in the provision of services and products that are tailor made for the spiritual and pilgrimage tourists who arrive in the villages. The villages of Oraman-e-Takht, Hajyj and Najjar are attractive destination for internal and external round the year (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 126). The findings of one-sample t-test indicated that religious and spiritual tourists strongly impacted the lives of people in the rural areas with the largest impact being from the social impact of religious and pilgrimage tourism. The findings in the second article indicated that marketing of spiritual products and services in Pakistan were greatly influenced by the opinion leaders in Islam. Most tour operators dependent on the teachings of Islam as their way of attracting spiritual travelers to their products to their products and services. The research also revealed that there was a shift in this perception that marketing of spiritual tourism was only based on the influence of opinion leaders in Islam. Some respondents indicated that several factors were also coming into force like the pricing of the product or service could determine whether a tour operator was going to get a customer of not (Haq, Jackson & Wong, 2012, p. 4). Another important finding in the research was that most Pakistan spiritual tourists preferred to travel with family members or friends and services and products offered could be packaged to meet this need. The tourists were susceptible to the influence of opinion leaders and marketing of the services and products was thus influenced by what the opinion leaders say about the operator (Haq, Jackson & Wong, 2012, p. 4) The strength of the first article is that it involved a large sample which makes the finding more reliable and valid. The researchers also used scientific tools including the SPSS software and mathematical calculations to analyze and deduce their findings (Kotler, Bowen & Makens, 2008, p. 5). The use of these tools in the analysis is important because it can help to detect inconsistencies in the responses and therefore determine if the findings are valid and reliable or not. The use of closed questionnaires also helped the researcher to narrow down on a particular subject and prevented the respondent fro drifting to a different topic. However, the researchers did use the little time in collecting data and this might have compromised the responses that they got. In the second article, the researchers had humble time to collect and analyze data, the approach enabled them to interact with the respondents in ales formal manner and therefore they were able to seek for more information that could help them to make conclusions. The fact that they were also using face to face interview made them to collect primary data. The approach enabled them to observe the facial and other expressions from the respondents which could help them to make important conclusions about the feeling of tour operators in Pakistan. However, because of the sensitive of tour operators to their business, their refused to speak on records as they feared this would have compromised their privacy and business. The approach thus failed to help the researchers get crucial information for future references. The researchers could only depend on the notes that they were taking in their notebooks (Kotler, Bowen & Makens, 2008, p. 5) Conclusion This report covers the methodological approaches that were used in the two researches. Basically, the researchers were investigating an almost similar phenomenon, but the two articles use a distinct and dissimilar approach to their studies. The report has discussed the qualitative and quantitative approaches that the researchers used in their respective studies. The rationale of each approach is discussed and exposition of how each approach could affect the outcome of the research analyzed. The first article concluded that that the rural community were strongly influenced or impacted by the spiritual and religious tourism. An important conclusion of the research was that the social aspect of pilgrimage and spiritual tourism strongly impacted the lives of many household the rural areas of Iran. A further conclusion religious tourism impacted more on the lives of rural households than those impacted by the pilgrimage tourism. The second article concluded that Pakistani spiritual tourists preferred to make spiritual tourism while accompanied by their families and friends. This research has expanded my knowledge and grasp of qualitative and quantitative approaches to research. In particular, I have learnt that qualitative approach can best be used where there is a large sample with limited time for research. I have also learnt that qualitative approach requires that the research be equipped with other computational skills such as the use of computer software like SPSS and other mathematical skills to analyze the data that is collected from respondents and deduce finding and conclusions from the same. Further, I have learnt that qualitative approach to research however does not provide the research with an opportunity to seek clarification on actually what the respondent means. This is because the questionnaires in such approach are closed especially when the researcher is using Likert scale in the questionnaire to collect information. The research has also expanded my knowledge on the different research methodologies that a researcher can access in trying to carry out an investigation over a phenomenon in social sciences. The key learning outcomes in regard to research methodologies is that the sample can determine the choice of methodological approach that is going to be used. The researcher needs also to have other skills like computation and analysis to be able to identify correlations and conformity of the collected data and the existing knowledge. Each research methodologies provides both advantages and disadvantages that can influence the outcome of the research. In using different research methodologies, the time available to the researcher is important so as to collect and analyze the data. References Ayres, L. 2007. Qualitative Research Proposals – Part III: Sampling and Data Collection.Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 242-244. Flick, U. 2009. An Introduction to Qualitative Research. New York: SAGE. Haq, F., Jackson, J. & Wong, H. Y. 2012. Marketing spiritual tourism: qualitative interviews with private tourism operators in Pakistan, Central Queensland University Kothari, C. R. 2009. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. London: New Age International. Kotler, P., Bowen, J. T., & Makens, J. 2008. Marketing for hospitality and tourism. 8th Edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Lapan, S. D., Quartaroli, M. T. &  Rieme, F. J. 2011. Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Merriam, S. B. 2009. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. Patten, M. L. 2007. Understanding Research methods: An overview of the essentials. California: Pyrczak Publishing. Pourtaheri1, M., Rahmani, K. & Ahmadi, H. 2012. Impacts of Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism in Rural Areas: The Case of Iran, Journal of Geography and Geology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 122-129 Raj, R. & Morpeth, N. D. 2007. Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Festivals Management: An International Perspective. Oxford: CABI Publishers Strauss, A. L. & Corbin, J. 1990. Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Read More