Place Attachment, Host-guest Interaction and Support for Tourism Development: Residential Tourist Perspective
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The importance of stakeholder participation in achieving sustainable and successful tourism development is well established. In particular, the attitudes of local residents toward tourism development are regarded as a critical consideration by destination management organizations. In this context, understanding the attitudes of residential tourists—voluntary migrants who, like local residents, reside in the host destination year-round—is essential for inclusive and comprehensive tourism planning. Their perceptions and support can play a pivotal role in the long-term viability and social acceptance of tourism initiatives. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of place attachment and host-guest interaction on support for tourism development. By testing this model within the context of residential tourists, it seeks to advance the existing body of literature by addressing a relatively understudied group within tourism research. This study, grounded in quantitative research methods, employed a survey technique for data collection. A total of 330 valid responses were obtained from residential tourists—primarily Northern Europeans—residing in the Alanya region of Antalya. The findings reveal that place attachment has a significant effect on support for tourism development. Furthermore, the results indicates that place attachment also exerts a statistically significant influence on host-tourist interaction. In addition, the results demonstrate that the level of hosttourist interaction is a key determinant of the degree of support for tourism development. The findings underscore the necessity of considering residential tourists in tourism planning processes. As long-term residents of the destination, residential tourists can contribute positively not only to enhancing the quality of the visitor experience through host-guest interactions but also to the promotion and marketing of the destination. Their unique position between local and tourist identities offers valuable potential for sustainable and community-oriented tourism development.
Authors: Sezai SARIİBRAHİMOĞLU, Paşa Mustafa ÖZYURT
Institutions: Istanbul University, Giresun University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $204
OpenAlex ID: W7114928673
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