Perception and Intent to Participate of Indigenous Residents on Rural Tourism and Urban-Rural Exchange in Namhae County, South Korea

Abstract

Background and objective Rural tourism and urban-rural exchange projects require positive perception and participation of local residents. This study was conducted to analyze the perception and participation of indigenous residents and to propose ways to increase their intent to participate. Methods A survey was conducted to analyze indigenous residents’ perception of visitors, migrants, rural tourism and urban-rural exchange projects, and local government. The results were compared with the perceptions by visitors or migrants. In order to propose a plan for increasing their intent to participate, an equation composed of 5 explanatory variables was derived through stepwise multi-regression analysis. Results Indigenous residents were older, had a lower level of education compared to visitors or migrants, and perceived that the key motive of visitors was mainly enjoying the natural scenery and that having fun with family/friends was less important. Visitor satisfaction and intent to revisit were perceived to be lower. They were positive about the settlement of migrants. They generally rated tourism attributes low. They had a strong image of local agricultural products. They perceived that the awareness of rural tourism and urban-rural exchange projects was low, but the necessity was very high. For information source, they were less dependent on people around them and did not use much internet or social media. They perceived that the local revitalization was well performed, but the income from increased visitors was not as high as they expected. They strongly perceived the necessity of the local government’s role, but the level of its support was low. Conclusion Their perceptions tended to be consistently ‘undervalued’ overall compared to those of visitors or migrants. Their intent to participate can be effectively increased by preferentially improving awareness, partnership with migrants, and local government support focusing on income generation; reinforcing and proving the expertise of the department in charge; and spreading positive information about the success of major tourism resources.