The effect of word of mouth on inbound tourists' decision for traveling to Islamic destinations (the case of Isfahan as a tourist destination in Iran)

Purpose Word of mouth (WOM) is becoming recognized as an important form of promotion and an important source of information influencing consumer's attitudes and purchase behavior. WOM is especially important in the tourism industry, whose intangible products are difficult to evaluate prior to their consumption. The purpose of this paper is to survey the effect of WOM on tourists' decision for travelling to an Islamic destination. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a field research among 224 inbound tourists who have visited Isfahan as an Islamic destination, and the data were analyzed using regression and correlation. Additionally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applicable for the inference relationships between tourist characteristics and using WOM. The survey period was from June 2 to June 29, 2010. Findings Two findings have been concluded in this survey. First, WOM affects the decision of tourists for travelling to Isfahan. Second, nationality, gender, purpose of trip, and previous experience of travelling were associated with using WOM among prospective tourists. Practical implications Managers should develop complete understanding of WOM and try to stimulate WOM about destinations among tourists, because most tourists are influenced by information from informal sources. Originality/value The paper shows that customer‐oriented tourism programs improve the numbers of inbound tourists to a particular destination.