Residents' involvement in tourism and their perceptions of tourism impacts

Is Edu-Tourism a Sustainable Option? A Case Study of Residents’ Perceptions

In studies of the impact of tourism, considerable attention has been given to the attitudes and perceptions of host communities toward tourism. However, most of these studies have focused on tourism in general and on sporadic alternative tourism in particular. This study aims to fill a gap in the research literature by examining residents’ perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability of edu-tourism. It contributes to the limited literature on edu-tourism and to that on residents’ perceptions of tourism in small island developing states. A sample of 300 (N = 300) residents was surveyed in the city of Famagusta in Northern Cyprus to investigate residents’ attitudes toward the sustainability of edu-tourism. ANOVA and Cramér’s V tests were applied to analyze the perceptions of residents of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of edu-tourism. The influence of the socio-demographic characteristics of the residents on their perceptions and attitudes was of these issues was also examined. The study revealed that there is a variety of attitudes among residents toward the sustainability of edu-tourism and that, although residents are generally positive about edu-tourism, attitudes toward its social and environmental sustainability are mixed.

Residents’ Perceptions and Satisfaction toward Tourism Development: A Case Study of Petra Region, Jordan

This study investigates whether local residents’ sociodemographics and community attachment can influence their perceptions toward the impact of tourism (economic, environmental, and sociocultural effects) and, further, whether these perceptions influence their satisfaction with local tourism management. The perceptions of 467 residents were surveyed from six communities in the region of Petra, Jordan. The results of a regression analysis indicate that the respondents’ sociodemographics and community attachment influence their perceptions of the impacts of tourism. Gender and distance from tourist sites are found to be very important factors that influence local residents’ perceptions. In addition, the perceived economic impact is the most important aspect for these respondents, and perceived negative impacts do not significantly influence their satisfaction. Suggestions for future studies in the region and possible implications are discussed.

Exploring Residents’ Perceptions of Mega Event-Dubai Expo 2020: A Pre-Event Perspective

This study explores the residents’ perceptions of economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of a mega-event (World Expo 2020) to be held in Dubai, as well as their level of inclination to participate in the event. The event organizers announced a requirement of thirty thousand volunteers to assist them in successfully organizing the mega event. Such events could prove to be landmarks in destination brand building and may lead to an increase in the number of tourists. The purpose of the study is to gauge the level of understanding about the event impacts within the resident population and their willingness to get involved in event organization. Priory studies of perceptions about the economic, cultural and environmental impacts of a mega-event, are well-nigh non-existent, especially for World Expositions. This study explores residents’ perception to get a fair idea of how they get involved in a mega event that will surely have profound impacts on the destination. Drawing on stakeholder theory and triple bottom line (TBL) model, the study uses primary data collected from more than two hundred fifty residents of the region, through a structured questionnaire. The data analysis follows a descriptive design supported by SEM and path analysis. Major findings indicate favorable and promising responses from the residents, and brings forth the scope to improve the level of involvement of the residents to make the event a success.

Satisfaction of Indigenous Tourism from Residents’ Perspective: A Case Study in Nantou County, Taiwan

This study focused on indigenous residents’ satisfaction of tourism development. We used sociocultural preservation (SP), economic benefits (EB), environmental protection (EP) and environmental devastation (ED) as indicators to examine residents’ satisfaction following tourism development in an indigenous area. The present study interviewed 391 indigenous residents located in two indigenous villages located in Nantou County, Taiwan, aged 20–70 (174 men and 217 women). The findings showed that most of the participants were satisfied with SP, EB and EP and revealed differences among birthplace, duration of residence, occupation groups regarding SP, EB and EP. Two types of groups (people born locally and residing for more than 15 years) reported higher satisfaction of SP, EB and EP. In addition, path analysis found SP, BE, EP and ED had explanatory power of tourism development satisfaction with R2 = 0.692. Since tourism development in indigenous areas has significant impact on local residents, this development should consider not only the economic benefits but also sociocultural preservation and environmental protection to meet the expectations of local indigenous residents.