Residents' perceptions of the environmental and social impact of tourism in rural areas

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an understanding of residents' perceptions of how tourism activity in a rural area impacts their environment as well as their economic and social lives individually and as a community.Design/methodology/approachAs a primary method of data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 residents in the rural areas of Cyprus.FindingsThe study's findings suggest that tourism activity in the rural areas provides a plethora of opportunities to residents, but comes with challenges and threats. Both social and environmental impacts are mainly for the benefit of the local communities as the engine of development. Emphasis is given to the revival of the local culture with the emergence of small and medium enterprises, along with the motivation of younger populations and women to become active entrepreneurs. However, a more holistic approach should be taken to sustainable tourism development in Cyprus, ensuring that all local communities have an opportunity to develop small-scale niche tourism products that enhance the image of rural destinations and which become a source of pride for the residents.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by enhancing knowledge of the relationship between tourism and local rural communities. Shedding light on residents' perceptions by evaluating social and environmental impacts can guide government policy making and implementation.

The science of rural human settlements: a comprehensive overview

“…The emergence of ecosystem services and sustainability from 2018 to 2023 and from 2020 to 2023 also indicated that rural ecology and social and economic environment were paid more and more attention, especially their sustainability, in recent years. For example, Liasidou et al (2021) studied the impact of the tourism industry on rural society, and promoted the sustainable development of the rural areas in this regard. After rapid urbanization in a lot of developing countries, rural areas not only developed slowly but also lagged behind cities in many different aspects.…”

Perceived Rural Development in UNESCO Global Geoparks in Spain

“…According to the World Tourism Organisation, sustainable tourism takes into account different dimensions that affect society from a present and future perspective including environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as the well-being of the local population [45]. In other words, sustainability seeks to maximise the benefits of tourism activity without detracting from the available resources, in such a way that it results in an improvement, in all aspects, in the way of life of the resident population [17,46].Thus, the role of the local population in sustainability is essential. According to many authors, the development of sustainable tourism activity is only possible by integrating the resident population in the development of tourism policies [19,[47][48][49].…”

“…On the other hand, tourism activity in popular destinations undoubtedly affects the way of life of the resident population, whose perceptions will vary according to the impact it has on their socio-economic environment [17]. Furthermore, knowledge of the perceptions of the local population is a crucial aspect of sustainable tourism management [18][19][20], which is even more relevant in a natural destination such as a geopark [21].…”