The influences of the socio-demographic factors on residents’ attitudes towards tourism impacts: A case study of Pasikkuda, Sri Lanka
- March 27, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Geography, IJRISS, Tourism Studies
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue III, March 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Vyddiyaratnam Pathmanandakumar
Department of Geography, Eastern University, Sri Lanka
Abstract:-This study explains how the socio-demographic factors influence residents’ attitudes towards tourism impacts in Pasikkuda. A questionnaire survey was conducted to examine the effects of socio-demographic factors on residents’ attitudes towards the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism. The survey was conducted with a stratified random sampling of 124 residents in Pasikkuda. The study found that residents’ socio-demographic factors had an important influence on perceptions of tourism impacts. The results indicate that the socio-demographic factors have both a positive and a negative effect on people’s attitudes towards the impact of tourism. The residents who believe that tourism is profitable and important to economic development are aware of substantial positive impacts but don’t vary from others as to the negative effects of tourism. The attitudes of residents are greatly influenced by factors such as the educational background, place of birth, and years of residency in the community. The respondents with fewer years of residency expressed a more positive attitude towards the impact of tourism. Finally, residents’ attitudes towards tourism impacts in Pasikkuda led to prepare the residents’ profile. Comprehensive education and awareness campaigns will be an effective way to boost the tourism industry’s understanding among the residents in Pasikkuda.
Keywords: Impacts, Socio-demography, Pasikkuda, Tourism
1 INTRODUCTION
Tourism literature has drawn interest in studies related to the effects of tourism. The impacts of tourism can be assessed through a review of the attitudes and perceptions of the residents. Several studies have been undertaken in recent years on people’s perceptions and their understanding of tourism development impacts. The increasing awareness of such studies is due to the positive and negative effects of tourism development at the local level [1], [2]. Tourism development can generate employment opportunities for the residents [3]. It improves the city’s commercial activity, enhances the residents’ quality of life, and protects historical and archaeological sites [4] and cultural heritage [1], [5]. However, tourism may have adverse effects on the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects, heavily depending on tourism seasonality. Infrastructure for recreational use gets saturated during the peak tourism season that causes problems such as traffic congestion and parking [6]. These often make inconvenience to residents [7]. Tourism is raising the standard of living of local people, causing drug use, severe environmental impacts, and significant waste disposal increases. In some cases, tourism leads to pollution [8]. Such difficulties and its associated damages due to tourism may cause the local people to lose their morale and maintain a negative attitude towards tourism.
