Explaining the Influence of Marketing Components on the Development of Cultural Tourism: The Case of Tehran

Introduction

Tehran has historically held a prominent role in civilizational exchanges due to its economic, cultural, and political significance, as well as its unique geographic location. The city is rich in cultural and tourism assets, exemplified by its numerous historical monuments, involvement in significant cultural and historical events, local rituals and traditions, the deep-rooted lifestyle of its residents, literary and scientific heritage, and a variety of cultural and institutional infrastructures. Recognizing the importance of Tehran’s social and cultural structures in development planning, as a tourism destination, and implementing effective tourism development strategies can stimulate economic, social, and cultural growth and revitalize the city's urban space. In this context, the central research question of this study is: To what extent do components of influencer marketing affect the development of cultural tourism?

To answer this question, the study tested four main hypotheses:

1. Content attractiveness positively influences the development of cultural tourism.

2. Sharing personal experiences positively influences the development of cultural tourism.

3. Building trust positively influences the development of cultural tourism.

4. Professional background positively influences the development of cultural tourism.

Methodology

This study is applied in nature and employs a descriptive-analytical methodology. The statistical population comprised incoming tourists to the city of Tehran. Given the absence of precise data on the number of incoming tourists, Cochran's formula for an infinite population was used to estimate the sample size, which was calculated to be 384 respondents. A simple random sampling technique was employed. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and the composite reliability coefficient (CR). Cronbach’s alpha and the composite reliability coefficient range from zero to one for each variable, and values exceeding 0.7 indicate acceptable reliability. The results of Cronbach’s alpha and the composite reliability analysis confirmed the satisfactory reliability of the questionnaire.

Results and Discussion

The analysis of the research hypotheses revealed that content attractiveness, an element of influential marketing, significantly contributes to the development of cultural tourism, with a path coefficient of 0.256. Specifically, content attractiveness accounts for 6.5% of the variance in the dependent variable, i.e., cultural tourism development. This finding suggests that providing engaging, relevant, and high-quality content aligned with tourists' preferences plays a critical role in persuading them to visit cultural tourism destinations.

The hypothesis concerning the impact of experience-sharing, another influential marketing component, on cultural tourism development was also supported by the findings. With a path coefficient of 0.231, experience-sharing explains approximately 5.3% of the variance in cultural tourism development. This result reflects the widely held view that experience-sharing is more impactful in marketing services, such as tourism, than in promoting tangible goods. This can be attributed to the intangible and experiential nature of services.

The results also confirmed the hypothesis that enhancing trust, a key component of effective marketing, positively influences cultural tourism development. With a path coefficient of 0.244, trust enhancement accounts for 5.9% of the variance in the dependent variable. Trust serves as a foundational prerequisite for strengthening several key marketing outcomes, such as tourist loyalty, travel intention, destination attachment, and repeat visitation. As destination choices for tourists continue to expand, leveraging trust as a strategic asset becomes increasingly decisive in attracting visitors.

Finally, the findings confirmed the positive effect of marketers’ professional background, another facet of effective marketing, on cultural tourism development. This variable, with a path coefficient of 0.221, explains 4.8% of the variance in the dependent variable. This suggests that individuals with strong professional backgrounds who serve as cultural tourism marketers are more likely to capture public attention, as their credibility and expertise encourage greater audience engagement with their promotional content.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing, particularly when carried out by individuals active in the tourism sector, serves as a powerful instrument for the promotion and development of cultural tourism. When effective strategies are employed in this domain, cultural experiences can be rendered more appealing to a broader audience, while also yielding considerable economic and social benefits. The findings of this study reveal that key components of influencer marketing, including content attractiveness, experience sharing, trust enhancement, and professional background, exert a positive and statistically significant influence on the development of cultural tourism. Among these components, content attractiveness demonstrated the greatest impact, with a path coefficient of 0.256. Based on the results, it can be concluded that influencer marketing plays a pivotal role in advancing cultural tourism, as the persuasive power of popular and recognizable individuals (influencers) helps attract larger audiences to cultural destinations. Influencers contribute to destination awareness by sharing engaging content related to historical landmarks, local traditions, and cultural festivals. Their visual content, such as images and videos, often garners greater attention than conventional forms of advertising. Influencers often enjoy a high degree of trust due to the perceived authenticity and intimacy of their relationships with followers. When influencers endorse cultural destinations, potential tourists are more likely to perceive them as valuable and worth experiencing.