RESIDENT PERCEPTION OF TOURISM IMPACT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA: THE CASE OF A WETLAND IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

"The main objective of this study was to assess the tourism development perception of residents living in one of Sri Lanka’s most interesting wetland areas, the Muthurajavela Wetland and Negombo Lagoon. Knowledge of resident perception is essential if tourism is to develop in a sustainable manner. We found that, in general, local people tend to recognize both the benefits and the costs of tourism development in their community, but their overall assessment of tourism impact is clearly positive. Another important finding of this study is that, while the entire population is supportive of tourism, there are differences in the level of support between groups of residents based on community attachment, income and place of residence. The results of this study are encouraging for future wetland tourism development because of the positive attitudes expressed by the local population. Previous studies have demonstrated that attitude may be linked to behavior. Thus, residents who perceive tourism impacts positively may be more willing to support future tourism development. Keywords: wetland, wetland tourism, fragile ecosystems, residents’ attitudes JEL Classification: Z32, F64, M31, O44, Q26"