The Role of the Local Host Community’s Involvement in the Development of Tourism: A Case Study of the Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism on the Route of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

Jakson-Renner-Rodrigues Soares,Maria Abríl-Sellarés,Maria-Francisca Casado-Claro,María-Elvira Lezcano-González,María-Dolores Sánchez-Fernández,Larissa-Paola-Macedo-Castro Gabriel

doi:10.3390/su13179576

Jakson-Renner-Rodrigues Soares, Maria Abríl-Sellarés + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179576

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Abstract

As an economic, social, and cultural activity, tourism shapes the relationship between visitors and local communities in tourist destinations. While tourism generates economic growth and employment opportunities for residents, its benefits come with a social cost. This article highlights the results of an online survey that was carried out at the beginning of 2021 in the seven major Galician cities along the Route of Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St. James) in Spain, which is a historical, natural, and cultural tourist attraction that is inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in the category of cultural assets. The goal of the research work was to get to know first-hand the opinion of local communities about the positive and negative effects of tourism in their cities, on the Route of Santiago, and in the region of Galicia as a whole. Research work shows that residents’ perception of tourism leans toward the positive side, although it also reveals the need for tourism planners to involve host communities in tourism development. This research study about a World Heritage site should prove useful for political decision makers, tourism planners, and experts, both in Galicia and elsewhere.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilThe sense of hospitality in tourism is partially shaped by the involvement of the local host community in tourism-related activities, which is related to the perception that the local community itself has of the tourism activity taking place in their places of residence or work
The most widely implemented mechanism we found was tourism carrying capacity (TCC), which can be measured using technological solutions, as was the case in the simulations carried out by Camatti et al [3] in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnic (Croatia)
This article addresses an underdeveloped topic in tourism planning and management, which is the role that local communities play in shaping the tourist experience at the destination

Summary

Introduction

Introduction published maps and institutional affilThe sense of hospitality in tourism is partially shaped by the involvement of the local host community in tourism-related activities, which is related to the perception that the local community itself has of the tourism activity taking place in their places of residence or work. From a systemic perspective, the local community’s perception of tourism shapes its behavior toward tourists and, the tourists’ experience in the destination. As tourists flock to cultural and historical heritage sites in significant numbers, local host communities experience some disturbances. Tourism on the Route of Santiago has a considerable impact on both the economy and the society, in Santiago de Compostela and in the whole of Galicia since the promotion of the pilgrimage route as a tourist attraction has prompted an exponential increase in international and national tourism arrivals in the 21st century [13]. It is important to qualify the visitors arriving in Santiago de Compostela to understand the nature of tourism in the city. Visitors in CETUR’s study stated as their preferred tourist attractions the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and its surrounding area (84.2%), the Route of Santiago (53.5%), and the Old

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