Motivations behind visiting unplanned tourist attractions: an Iranian context

Visiting tourist attractions that are not planned within planned trips frequently occur. We interviewed 18 tourists visiting three tourist attractions in northwestern Iran regarding the motivations behind their unplanned visits. Data were analyzed using the general inductive approach. We found that unplanned tourist attraction visits were motivated by the desire to seek surprise and excitement, and such visits provided tourists with an opportunity to escape the routines of their daily lives. In addition, tourists considered such trips as a source of learning or a way of becoming familiar with the local culture. Our study contributes to the unplanned tourist attractions literature and offers valuable implications for tourism stakeholders.