Influence of Manaoag Church in Tourist Motivation towards Religious Tourism

Abstract

This research delves into the aspects of Religious Tourism. In the Philippines, the abundance of religious sites and activities plays an important role in fostering pilgrimage and enhancing the significance of religious tourism. This study examines the influence of Manaoag Church on tourists’ travel motivation. The primary aim of this study is to know the influence of Manaoag Church on tourist motivation towards Religious Tourism. A descriptive research approach and quantitative method were used for this study. In addition, the researchers conducted a convenience sampling survey with a total of 400 respondents, specifically 400 tourists visiting Manaoag Church. The study adapts the theory of Icek Ajzen – Theory of Planned Behavior and John Crompton – Destination Image Theory. The TPB is utilized to explore the motivations that drive tourists to visit the Manaoag Church, focusing on how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence their intentions. Concurrently, Destination Image Theory is applied to assess how the Manaoag Church influences tourist motivations through beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. Based on the results, the researchers were able to identify the motivation of the tourists to visit Manaoag Church regarding leisure, perceived benefits, perceived risks, family and peer influence, religious community influence, accessibility of religious sites, financial resources, and previous experience. It showed that the majority of the visitors were females who are 21–30 years old, who are Roman Catholic and visited the site 1-3 times per year. It was also revealed that there was no significant difference in the respondents’ assessment of the influence of Manaoag Church in the tourist motivation towards religious tourism when grouped according to frequency of visit in terms of beliefs, emotions, and behavior. In other words, whether a respondent has visited the church once, several times, or more frequently, their assessment of the church’s influence on their motivation remains consistent. This could indicate that Manaoag Church’s role in religious tourism has a universal appeal or significance, transcending the number of visits a person has made.