Residents' attitude and level of destination development: An international comparison

• Published in: Tourism management (1982) 2015-06, Vol.48, p.199-210
• Main Authors: Vargas-Sánchez, Alfonso, Oom do Valle, Patricia, da Costa Mendes, Júlio, Silva, João Albino
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community attachment; Level of tourism development; Life cycle; Residents' attitude; Social Exchange Theory
• ISSN: 0261-5177; 1879-3193
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2014.11.005

To gain a better understanding of residents' attitudes towards tourism development, the purpose of this paper is to integrate various theoretical approaches in a more comprehensive explanatory model and, at the same time, to test the influence of the stage of the life cycle on it. To achieve this aim, a comparative study was carried out between two destinations, the Algarve (in Portugal) and Huelva (in Spain), with clear evidence of their position at different levels of tourism development. As a result, some variations were found, leading to differences in some relationships due to the evolutionary path followed by destinations. Consistently, as practical implications, emphasis should be placed on different constructs depending on the phase of development of the destination. •Clear evidence exists on a robust theoretical background, founded on the Social Exchange Theory.•The explanatory model works differently depending on the stage of the life cycle.•Some constructs and interrelationships seem to be affected as the life cycle progresses.•The level of community attachment has been proved to have just an indirect effect.