"Factors Affecting Residents` Attitudes Toward Tourism in the Azores: looking to their level of interaction with tourists"

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the factors influencing residents’ perceptions and attitudes toward the tourism industry, focusing on the level of interaction between the destination residents and tourists. The study refers to the Atlantic Azores islands, Portugal. It makes use of data collected by the Regional Statistic Service of Azores (SREA), Portugal. The survey took place along the year 2018 and got, globally, 950 valid answers. The survey question inquiring the residents on usually keeping direct interaction with the visitors got 451 answers. The findings follow the assumptions of the Social Exchange Theory closely; namely, the respondents that used to keep closer contact with tourists and/or directly benefited from the tourism industry tended to express stronger support to the industry. This result has practical implications, and the regional and national authorities have to be aware of that in the design of their policies, namely for pursuing a sustainable development strategy for the Azores archipelago.

Keywords: Residents’ perceptions; social exchange theory; positive and negative perceptions toward tourism; personal economic benefits; Azores Islands (Portugal).

J. Cadima Ribeiro, NIPE and School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, jcadima@eeg.uminho.pt

Laurentina Vareiro, UNIAG and Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos, Portugal, lvareiro@ipca.pt

Isabel Cristina Monjardino, SREA-Regional Statistic Service of Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal, isabel.cristina@ine.pt

(Título e resumo de comunicação a apresentar no 28º Congresso da APDR, que vai ter lugar a16 e 17 de Setembro de 2021, na UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.