Effect of residents' place attachment on their participation intention in local tourism development

Abstract

Researchers in tourism development have often suggested that the participation of local residents is essential for sustainable tourism, and for identifying and understanding the factors affecting residents’ willingness to participate (“participation intention”) is instrumental in tourism development. “Place attachment” refers to the emotions and feelings people have for places or landscapes. When residents develop deeper bonds to their nearby settings, they are more willing to be involved in development of the area. This study aims to examine residents’ attachment to nearby landscapes and investigate the effects of attachment on residents’ participate intention in local tourism. From the findings, three categories of attachment to different landscape attributes were extracted: cultural and historical landscapes, everyday landscapes, and natural landscapes. Moreover, regression analysis showed that attachment to cultural and historical landscapes can serve as a predictor of participation intention in tourism development. Under these circumstances, tourism authorities should give greater priority to enhancing residents’ attachment to cultural and historical landscapes which would, in turn, increase their participation intention, thus fostering sustainable tourism.