How resident perception of economic crisis influences their perception of tourism

Abstract

Residents are one of the most valuable assets for a tourist destination, so their perceptions of tourism constitute a crucial pillar for designing tourism development strategies that promote sustainable development. This paper investigates the determinants of both resident perception and willingness to support tourism development. The proposed model, which combines the social exchange theory (SET) and place attachment theory (PAT), was tested via structural equation modeling (SEM) using data collected from 409 residents of Isfahan. In addition, as the global economy has been suffering from a severe downturn, which likely influences perceptions and attitudes, this article tests the impact of resident perception of economic crisis on their perception of tourism and their willingness to support its development. Results indicate that those who perceive a higher level of economic crisis are more likely to view the impacts of tourism positively and support its development. Results also show that higher level of place attachment among residents is associated with a higher level of tourism development support. These empirical findings provide valuable theoretical contributions to researchers and have practical implications for local authorities.