Changes in Residents’ Perceptions of and Support to Tourism: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Local people's reactions to tourism have been extensively examined in the tourism field, but mostly cross-sectionally. While cross-sectional studies may provide insights into reactions at a certain point in time, longitudinal studies are required to capture changes over time. Nevertheless, longitudinal studies are scarce, and the majority of these studies was conducted over short time spans. Therefore, long-term changes in local residents’ reactions to tourism have not been comprehensively explored. This study examines the transformations of the perceptions and support attitudes of local residents through data gathered three times over an 18-year period and contributes to filling the gap in the literature. The data was compiled using convenience sampling method in 2002, 2012 and 2019 in Kuşadası, an important sea-sand-sun tourism destination in Türkiye, and analysed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The findings reveal that both positive and negative impact perceptions do not shift linearly, and changes differ per impact item. While perceptions of positive economic impacts have generally decreased over time, other positive impacts have remained stable or even strengthened and negative impacts have weakened. On the other hand, despite significant decreases, local residents continue to express support for tourism.

Keywords

• Local residents
• Tourism impacts
• Perceptions
• Support attitude
• Longitudinal

References

1. Akis, S., Peristianis, N., & Warner, J. (1996). Residents’ attitudes to tourism development: The case of Cyprus. Tourism Management, 17(7), 481-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(96)00066-0
2. Andereck, K. L., Valentine, K. M., Knopf, R. C., & Vogt, C. A. (2005). Residents’ perceptions of community tourism impacts. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(4), 1056-1076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2005.03.001
3. Bestard, A.B., & Nadal, J. R. (2007). Modelling environmental attitudes toward tourism. Tourism Management, 28(3), 688-695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.04.004
4. Bimonte, S., D'Agostino, A., Grilli, G., & Pagliuca, M. (2019). Tourist season and residents' life satisfaction: Empirical evidence from a longitudinal design in a Mediterranean destination. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21, 323-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2263
5. Brochado, A., Rodrigues, P., Sousa, A., Borges, A.P., Veloso, M., & Gómez-Suárez, M. (2023). Resilience and sustainable urban tourism: Understanding local communities’ perceptions after a crisis. Sustainability, 15, 13298. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813298
6. Butler, R.W. (1980). The concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution: Implications for management of resources. Canadian Geographer, 24(1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0064.1980.tb00970.x
7. Chen, K.C., Gursoy, D., & Lau, K.L.K (2018). Longitudinal impacts of a recurring sport event on local residents with different level of event involvement. Tourism Management Perspectives, 28, 228-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2018.09.005
8. Chen, S., & Raab, C. (2012). Predicting resident intentions to support community tourism: Toward an integration of two theories. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21, 270–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2011.584268

9. Diedrich, A., & Garcia-Buades, E. (2009). Local perceptions of tourism as indicators of destination decline. Tourism Management, 30, 512-521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.10.009
10. Diggle, P.J., Heagerty, P.J., Liang K-Y., & Zeger, S.L. (2013). Analysis of Longitudinal Data. Oxford University Press.
11. Dogra, N., Adil, M. Dhamija, A., Kumar, M., & Nasir, M. (2022). What makes a community sustainably developed? A review of 25 years of sustainable community tourism literature. Community Development, 53(5), 585-606. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2021.2015606
12. Doxey, G.V (1975). A causation theory of visitor-resident irritants: methodology and research inferences. The impact of tourism. Sixth annual conference proceedings of the Travel Research Association (08-11 September), San Diego: The Travel Association. (pp. 195-198).
13. Dyer, P., Gursoy, D., Sharma, B., & Carter, J. (2007). Structural modeling of resident perceptions of tourism and associated development on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tourism Management, 28(2), 409-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.04.002
14. Erul, E., Uslu, A., Cinar, K., & Woosnam, K.M. (2023). Using a value-attitude-behaviour model to test residents’ pro-tourism behaviour and involvement in tourism amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(19), 3111-3124. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2153013
15. Erul, E., Woosnam, K.M., & McIntosh, W.A. (2020). Considering emotional solidarity and the theory of planned behavior in explaining Behavioral intentions to support tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(8), 1158-1173. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1726935
16. Faulkner, B., & Tideswell, C. (1997). A framework for monitoring community impacts of tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 5(1), 3-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589708667273
17. Fitzmaurice, G., Davidian, M., Verbeke, G., & Molenberghs, G. (2009). Longitudinal Data Analysis. Chapman & Hall.
18. Fredline, E., & Faulkner, B. (2000). Host community reactions, a cluster analysis. Annals of Tourism Research, 27(3), 763-784. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00103-6
19. Fredline, L., Deery, M., & Jago, L. (2013). A longitudinal study of the impacts of an annual event on local residents. Tourism Planning & Development, 10(4), 416-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2013.779314
20. García, F.A., Vázquez, A.B., & Macías, R.C. (2015). Residents' attitudes towards the impacts of tourism. Tourism Management Perspectives, 13, 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2014.11.002
21. Getz, D. (1994). Residents’ attitudes towards tourism: A longitudinal study in Spey Valley, Scotland. Tourism Management, 15(4), 247-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-5177(94)90041-8
22. Gezon, L.L. (2014). Who wins and who loses? Unpacking the “local people” concept in ecotourism: a longitudinal study of community equity in Ankarana, Madagascar. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(5), 821-838. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2013.847942
23. Gottman, J.M., & Rushe, R.H. (1993). The analysis of change: Issues, fallacies, and new ideas. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(6), 907-910. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.61.6.907
24. Guo, Z.H. (2022). Local revitalization: Support from local residents. Sustainability, 14, 8298. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148298
25. Gursoy, D., Chi, C.G., & Dyer, P. (2010). Local’s attitudes toward mass and alternative tourism: The case of Sunshine Coast, Australia. Journal of Travel Research, 49(3), 381-394. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287509346853
26. Gursoy, D., Ouyang, Z., Nunkoo, R., & Wei, W. (2019). Residents’ impact perceptions of and attitudes towards tourism development: a meta-analysis. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(3), 306-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2018.1516589
27. Hernandez, S.A., Cohen, J., & Garcia, H.L. (1996). Residents’ attitudes towards an instant resort enclave. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(4), 755-779. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(95)00114-X
28. Hsu, C.H.C. (2000). Residents’ support for legalized gaming and perceived impacts of riverboat casinos: Changes in five years. Journal of Travel Research, 38(4), 390-395. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728750003800407
29. Hu, F., Kong, W., Innes, J.L., Wu, W., Sunderland, T., & Wang, G. (2022). Residents’ perceptions toward tourism development: A case study from Grand Canyon National Park, USA. Sustainability, 14, 13128. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013128
30. Huberty, C. J., & Olejnik, S. (2006). Applied MANOVA and Discriminant Analysis (2nd Ed.). Wiley-Interscience.
31. Huh, C., & Vogt, C.A. (2008). Changes in residents’ attitudes toward tourism over time: A cohort analytical approach. Journal of Travel Research, 46, 446-455. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287507308327
32. Huo, T., Yuan, F., Huo, M., Shao, Y., Li, S., & Li, Z. (2023). Residents’ participation in rural tourism and interpersonal trust in tourists: The mediating role of residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 54, 457–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.02.011
33. Jaccard, J., & Blanton, H. (2005). The origins and structure of behavior: Conceptualizing behavior in attitude research. In D. Albarracin, B.T., Johnson, and M.P., Zanna (Eds.), The Handbook of Attitudes (pp. 125-171). Mahwah, New Jersey; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
34. Johnson, J.D., Snepenger, D.J., & Akis, S. (1994). Residents' perceptions of tourism development. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(3), 629-642. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(94)90124-4
35. Karadakis, K., & Kaplanidou, K. (2012). Legacy perceptions among host and non-host Olympic Games residents: a longitudinal study of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. European Sport Management Quarterly, 12(3), 243-264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2012.680067
36. Kline, R.B. (2011). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modelling (3rd Edition). Guilford Publications: New York, NY.
37. Kuşadası Chamber of Commerce (2021). Kuşadası Ekonomisi (Economy in Kuşadası). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://kuto.org.tr/tr/kusadasi/ekonomisi/
38. Kuşadası Municipality (2019). 2020-2024 Stratejik Plan (2020-2024 Strategic Plan). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://kusadasi.bel.tr/userfiles/2020-2024%20Stratejik%20Plan.pdf
39. Lee, C.K., & Back, K.J. (2003). Pre-and post-casino impact of residents’ perception. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(4), 868-885. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(03)00060-4
40. Lee, C.K., & Back, K.J. (2006). Examining structural relationships among perceived impact, benefit, and support for casino development based on 4-year longitudinal data. Tourism Management, 27, 466-480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.11.009
41. Lee, C.K., Kim, S.S., & Kang, S. (2003). Perceptions of casino impacts-a Korean longitudinal study. Tourism Management, 24, 45-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(02)00048-1
42. Lepp, A. (2008). Attitudes towards initial tourism development in a community with no prior tourism experience: The case of Bigodi, Uganda. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.2167/jost630.0
43. Li, X(R), Hsu, C.H.C., & Lawton, L.J. (2014). Understanding residents’ perception changes toward a mega-event through a dual-theory lens. Journal of Travel Research, 54(3) 396-410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287513517422
44. Liang, Z., Luo, H., & Bao, J. (2021). A longitudinal study of residents’ attitudes toward tourism development. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(23), 3309-3323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1874314
45. Liang, Z.H, & Bao, J.G. (2015). Tourism gentrification in Shenzhen, China: causes and socio-spatial consequences. Tourism Geographies, 17(3), 461-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2014.1000954
46. Lin, C.H., & Kuo, B.Z.L. (2016). The behavioral consequences of tourist experience. Tourism Management Perspectives, 18, 84-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.12.017
47. Lin, Z., Chen, Y., & Filieri, R. (2017). Resident-tourist value co-creation: The role of residents' perceived tourism impacts and life satisfaction. Tourism Management, 61(2017), 436-442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.02.013
48. Liu, J., Sheldon, P., & Var, T. (1987). Resident perception of the environmental impacts of tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 14, 17-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(87)90045-4
49. Ma, X.L., Dai, M.L., & Fan, D.X.F. (2020). Land expropriation in tourism development: Residents' attitudinal change and its influencing mechanism. Tourism Management, 76, 103957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.103957
50. Menard, S. (1991). Longitudinal Research. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
51. Mihalik, B.J. (2000). Host population perception of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: Support, benefits, and liabilities. Tourism Analysis, 5(1), 49-53.
52. Ministry of Culture and Tourism. (2021). Accommodation Statistics. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https://www.ktb.gov.tr/EN-249308/accomodation-statistics.html
53. Nunkoo, R., Smith, S.L.J., & Ramkissoon, H. (2013). Residents’ attitudes to tourism: a longitudinal study of 140 articles from 1984 to 2010. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(1), 5-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2012.673621
54. Nur Syamsi, M., & Lee, J.H. (2021). A longitudinal study of the local community perspective on ecotourism development in Lombok, Indonesia. Water, 13, 2398. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13172398
55. Ozturk, A.B., Ozer, O., & Caliskan, U. (2015). The relationship between local residents’ perceptions of tourism and their happiness: a case of Kusadasi, Turkey. Tourism Review, 70(3), 232-242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2014-0053
56. Petty, R.E., Wegener, D.T., & Fabrigar, L.R. (1997). Attitudes and attitude change. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 609-647. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.609
57. Ployhart, R.E., & Vandenberg, R.J. (2010). Longitudinal research: The theory, design, and analysis of change. Journal of Management, 36(9), 94-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0149206309352110
58. Pratt, S., McCabe, S., & Movono, A. (2016). Gross happiness of a 'tourism' village in Fiji. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 5, 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2015.11.001
59. Rastegar, R., Breakey, N., Driml, S., & Ruhanen, L. (2024). Does tourism development shift residents’ attitudes to the environment and protected area management? Tourism Recreation Research, 49(5), 921-937. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2022.2106100
60. Ribeiro, T., Yoda, R., Papadimitriou, D.A., & Correia, A. (2022). Resident attitudes toward the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: A longitudinal study on social legacy and support behaviours. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 50, 188–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.02.018
61. Ruspini, E. (1999). Longitudinal research and the analysis of social change. Quality & Quantity 33, 219-227. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004692619235
62. Ryan, C., Scotland, A., & Montgomery, D. (1998). Resident attitudes to tourism development—a comparative study between the Rangitikei, New Zealand and Bakewell, United Kingdom. Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4(2), 115-130. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1603(199806)4:2<115::AID-PTH105>3.0.CO;2-7
63. Schönherr, S., Bichler, B.F., & Pikkemaat, B. (2023). Attitudes not set in stone: Existential crises changing residents’ irritation. Tourism Management, 96, 104708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104708
64. Sharma, B., & Dyer, P. (2012). A longitudinal study of the residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts using data from the sunshine coast Australia. Pasos, 10(2), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2012.10.025
65. Sharpley, R. (2014). Host perceptions of tourism: A review of the research. Tourism Management, 42, 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.10.007
66. Silva, C., Kastenholz, E., & Abrantes, J.L. (2013). Place attachment, destination image and impacts of tourism in mountain destinations. Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2012.762312
67. Silver, S.L., & Bin Shuib, A. (2024). Exploring rural resident attitudes toward tourism live stream in rural destinations: an integrated model. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 29(9), 1079-1095. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2024.2370290
68. Stylidis, D. (2022). Exploring resident-tourist interaction and its impact on tourists’ destination image. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1) 186-201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287520969861
69. Stylidis, D., & Terzidou, M. (2021). Exploring how perceived tourism impacts evolve over time (2009-2019) in an era of uncertainty: economic crisis, host-guest interactions, and Airbnb. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 31(2), 615–638. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1939707
70. Tam, P.S., Lei, C.K., & Zhai, T. (2023). Investigating the directionality of the relationship between residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and subjective wellbeing on support for tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(8), 1852-1868. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2071911
71. Taris, T.W. (2000). A Primer in Longitudinal Data Analysis. London: Sage Publications.
72. Thelen, T., Kim, S., & Scherer, E. (2020). Film tourism impacts: a multi-stakeholder longitudinal approach. Tourism Recreation Research, 45(3), 291-306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2020.1718338
73. Tuntipisitkul, P., Tsusaka, T.W., Kim, S.M., Shrestha, R.P., & Sasaki, N. (2021). Residents’ perception of changing local conditions in the context of tourism development: The case of Phuket Island. Sustainability, 13, 8699. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168699
74. Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) (n.d. (a)). Genel Nüfus Sayımları (General Population Census). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/nufusmenuapp/menu.zul
75. Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) (n.d. (b)). Kişi başına GSYH ($) [GDP Per Capita]. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://data.tuik.gov.tr/
76. Wegener, D.T., & Carlston, D.E. (2005). Cognitive Processes in Attitude Formation and Change. In D. Albarracin, B.T., Johnson, and M.P., Zanna (Eds.), The Handbook of Attitudes (pp. 493-542). Mahwah, New Jersey; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
77. Woosnam, K.M., & Erul, E. (2017). Residents’ perceived impacts of all-inclusive resorts in Antalya. Tourism Planning & Development, 14(1), 65-86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2016.1183515
78. Woosnam, K.M., & Ribeiro, M.A. (2022). Methodological and theoretical advancements in social impacts of tourism research. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(2), 187–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2046011
79. Zajonc, R.B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(2), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0025848.