A Comparison of Perceptions of Local People Regarding Tourism and Tourism Support According to Their Socio-Economic Status and Educational Level

Abstract

The robust development of tourism is not possible without the support of the local people. On the other hand, the local people are the main shareholders who are directly affected by the development of tourism in a destination. Therefore, it is very important to determine the perceptions and attitudes of the local people towards the effects of tourism for the sustainable and successful development of tourism. The aim of this study was to compare the perceived effects of tourism by local people and their perceptions of support in terms of tourism development according to income and education levels. The questionnaire prepared for this purpose was applied to the local people residing in Beypazarı district of Ankara between September 25 and October 1, 2018 selected by the convenience sampling method. A total of 418 usable questionnaires were analyzed. In the study it was determined that those with lower education and income levels had a higher perception about the negative effects of tourism while their perceptions about the positive effects of tourism were lower.