Influence of Community Attachment and Personal Benefit on Residents’ Support for Tourism Activities in Emerging Island Destinations: The Case of Cape Verde

Abstract

Tourism has become an essential activity for the economies of developing island destinations. Few studies have focused on the influence of community attachment and personal benefits on residents’ perceptions of impacts and support for tourism in these areas. Moreover, many previous studies have yielded ambivalent results on the role of community attachment. In the present study, based on social exchange theory, we tested a theoretical model that analyses these aspects in a socio-economic context such as the Cape Verde archipelago with a strong impact of emigration, where community attachment or the personal benefits produced by tourism can help explain the level of residents’ support. Quantitative research was carried out through a survey of residents and 518 valid responses were obtained. The model was tested using structural equations with PLS. The results suggest that personal benefits influence both directly and indirectly, through perceptions of tourism impacts, and residents’ support for tourism. It is also found that community attachment influences residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts. Theoretical and practical implications of the results obtained are also discussed.