Abstract
The tourism industry has been gravely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the purpose of this study was to explore residents’ support for sustainable tourism development in an integrative model that considered well-established factors and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing various research gaps caused by the pandemic, this study aimed to examine a model based on eight hypotheses. Using the premises of a cross-sectional study, data was gathered from residents from Sibiu. Data analysis implied various steps to provide an accurate understanding of the hypotheses and the model was developed based on structural equation modeling. Considering the results of hypothesis testing, our study reconfirmed the applicability of social exchange theory in describing residents’ attitudes toward tourism development and positioned quality of life as an important predictor for this construct. Also, the outcomes highlighted a negative relationship between the host community’s perceptions of the coronavirus pandemic and their subsequent support for sustainable tourism development. Overall, the results focused on offering contributions for a better understanding of residents’ behavior and the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on their support for sustainable tourism development. The conceptual and practical ramifications of the study were addressed in the article’s conclusion.
Highlights
Residents’ hospitality is regarded as an essential component in the development of sustainable tourism [1]
Multiple studies [2,49,58] explored the hypothesis between quality of life and sustainable tourism development, as such, we extend current research frameworks with the following proposition: Hypothesis 4 (H4)
While studies that explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism are still underdeveloped, this paper aimed to explore this influence from the perspective of the host population
Summary
Residents’ hospitality is regarded as an essential component in the development of sustainable tourism [1]. Sustainable tourism development is defined as a “pathway that cultivates the tourism industry as economic viability without damaging and harming residents’ society and their environment” [2] In this context, monitoring the attitudes and perceptions of residents is of crucial importance, especially for tourism planners, destination management organizations, hospitality businesses, tourism practitioners, and local authorities. Studies showed that the impacts of tourism perceived by the host population community are connected to residents’ quality of life and their subsequent advocacy for sustainable tourism [8]. This evaluation from the residents’ point of view has been widely associated with the theoretical framework of social exchanges [9]. A community is more inclined to embrace tourism if the perceived
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