Exploring the relevance of Social Exchange Theory in the Middle East: A case study of tourism in Dubai, UAE

Abstract

Whilst numerous studies have explored residents' perceptions of tourism, there are three significant gaps with Social Exchange Theory (SET). First, the appropriateness and generalisability; second, the heterogeneity of host population perceptions; third, perceptions in non-Western empirical contexts. A mixed methods study was conducted, using 36 face-to-face interviews with expatriates and nationals in Dubai to develop a survey instrument which returned over 400 responses. Results show that whilst SET is appropriate and partially generalisable, substantial adjustments are required to account for external factors such as culture and the political environment.We propose a new theory of Tourism Returns and Moderators to show a more holistic outcome, weighted perceptions, varying moderators, and greater individualised focus. In this study, participants had a preference to support tourism, did not refer to a cost-benefit trade-off, and generally favoured economic benefits over others.community tourism, Middle East, perceptions of tourism, resident perceptions, tourism impacts | INTRODUCTIONThe value of understanding perceptions of tourism has gained traction as greater attention is paid towards overtourism (Gonzalez et al., 2018;Kuščer & Mihalič, 2019;Rasoolimanesh & Seyfi, 2020). This is only likely to grow in the short-term as destinations recover from COVID-19, and in the long-term given sustainability concerns. However, few articles have treated hosts as heterogeneous groups when measuring their perceptions of tourism (Gu & Ryan, 2010;Papastathopoulos et al., 2020), reflecting a significant theoretical and

Socio-economic effects of trade fairs on host cities from a citizens' perspective: The case of Thessaloniki, Greece

“…The economic, social and cultural effects are considered as largely positive, with these results concurring with evidence of similar studies (Kowalik, 2012;Bathelt et al, 2014). Specifically for the economic benefits, the literature has showed that they are closely related to residents' support for tourism (Dutt et al, 2022), a research finding that was also highlighted in this study. By contrast, in the environmental field, the citizens of Thessaloniki consider the negative impacts, such as traffic congestion, noise, air pollution and car parking issues, as relatively insignificant.…”

“…The economic, social and cultural effects are considered as largely positive, with these results concurring with evidence of similar studies (Kowalik, 2012; Bathelt et al , 2014). Specifically for the economic benefits, the literature has showed that they are closely related to residents' support for tourism (Dutt et al , 2022), a research finding that was also highlighted in this study.…”

“…It also explores ways on how to use trade fairs as a city marketing tool and a means of local economic development and tourism support (Lee et al , 2013). In particular, tourism support has been linked to important economic benefits for a local area (Dutt et al , 2022). In terms of costs, when examining the economic impact of conferences and conventions on cities, it is crucial to measure economic impacts beyond the initial costs associated solely with the event (Braun, 1992).…”

Hotel management schemes: liminal protean pathways derived from acting as lifeguards in Gulf luxury resorts

“…The Gulf countries, and especially the UAE, offer an interesting location to explore career development in tourism. Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, is probably one of the more well-known global tourism destinations where tourism plays a significant role in the economy (Dutt et al , 2022). The nature of employment in the UAE, and the Gulf at large, also possess noteworthy characteristics.…”

“…Chiefly, the large expatriate population (Newnham and Dutt, 2022a; Wilson and Dutt, 2022) and the difficulty, in some cases the impossibility, to receive permanent citizenship (Newnham and Dutt, 2022a). While exact statistics are unclear, it is estimated that approximately 90% of the UAE’s population are expatriates (Dutt et al , 2022). The size and renown of the tourism industry coupled with the country’s familiarity with hosting expatriates makes it a very appealing destination for young people to live, start and grow their career (Wilson and Dutt, 2022).…”