Evaluation of Sustainable Tourism Development in Context of Local Community’s Perception: Case of Didim District of Turkey

Abstract

In recent years, the local community's perception of sustainable tourism development has gained much importance in scientific debates. Many developed and developing countries have made tourism-oriented economic policies to increase exchange earnings and job opportunities. It is necessary to apply a cautious approach to maximize tourism's economic potential with minimum environmental damages. For this purpose, the local community plays a vital role in achieving sustainable tourism development. The present study is aimed to evaluate the local community's attitudes towards sustainable tourism development in the Didim district of Turkey. A questionnaire-based survey method was used to collect primary data regarding the topic, where 379 participants were selected for the survey. T-test and ANOVA tests of statistics were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that the local community has very positive attitudes towards tourism development in the region. Education, income, profession, and place of origin were found important influencing factors in perception of local community regarding sustainable tourism development. The findings of the study provide valuable insights for future policy development.