Abstract
This paper presents findings from a study that was undertaken to investigate residents’ attitudes toward the impacts of tourism in Langkawi Island, Malaysia. In order to gain reliable results for the use of Langkawi policy makers and tourism planners, a standardized instrument for measuring residents’ attitude was developed and used in the study. The findings revealed that residents tend to perceive impacts that benefit them as positive impacts of tourism. The findings also indicated that residents tend to perceive impacts of tourism, either positively or negatively depending on how much they would affect their personal lives. The more dependent they were on the positive impacts of tourism, the more supportive they were toward tourism development. Thus, the findings do not support Doxey’s Irridex Model. Finally, the study suggested that for a long-term purpose of achieving sustainable tourism development, Langkawi tourism planners and policy makers should conduct several campaigns and tourism workshops for the residents. Accordingly, this would gain residents support for tourism development on the island.
Highlights
Studies on residents’ attitudes toward tourism have become an important subject in tourism research
The importance of studying attitudes is noted by Ryan et al (1998) in a comparative study between the Rangitikei, New Zealand and Bakewell, United Kingdom
As noted by Jafari (1977), early work in tourism research focused on the positive impacts of tourism, where in the 1970s’ it focused on the negative impacts of tourism; and in the 1980s, it focused on a more balanced and systematic approach
Summary
Studies on residents’ attitudes toward tourism have become an important subject in tourism research. The importance of studying attitudes is noted by Ryan et al (1998) in a comparative study between the Rangitikei, New Zealand and Bakewell, United Kingdom. They stress that: “attitudes are important in a number of ways: they are perceived to be important because of the values held by a person, they are the expression of values and their application to specific events” (pg.117). Doxey suggested that residents’ attitudes toward tourism firstly are positive, changes to irritability and will change to resentment in later stages of the development
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