Resident’s Support for Tourism Development: A Multigroup Analyses

The present study seeks to offer deeper insights into the support that residents provide for tourism development by examining the perceived impacts of tourism, place attachment and overall quality of life (QoL). Theory of social exchange was used in the study and theoretical and empirical proof on the relationships among the concepts is presented. The data related to the study were obtained from the provinces of Isparta and Antalya, which are at a divergent degree of tourism development. The findings indicate causal pathways in residents' support for tourism. These pathways are formed in the following order: Place attachment significantly increases the perceived benefits of tourism, which in turn enhances overall QoL, ultimately providing to stronger resident support for tourism development. These results significantly advance the field by offering new theoretical insights, simultaneously acting as a strategic resource for tourism stakeholders and local authorities. However, this study provides a novel perspective by performing a comparative analysis of residents’ views on tourism in relation to a nature-based and coastal destination.