Residents’ Perceptions on the Social and Cultural Impacts of Tourism in Alanya, Turkey

Hilmi Demirkaya (Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey) [BIO]

Email: hilmi.demirkaya@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

Apart from obvious and visible effects on the economy and the physical environment, tourism can contribute to social and cultural changes in host societies, including changes in value systems, traditional lifestyles, family relationships, individual behavior or community structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the social and cultural impacts and consequences of tourism in the case of Payallar and Konakli in Alanya, Turkey. Tourism's social and cultural impacts are often difficult to measure, as, to a large extent, they are indirect. The larger the cultural and economic difference between tourists and local residents, the more obvious and more significant changes are. Changes in the host community's quality of life are influenced by two major factors: the tourist-host relationship and the development of the industry itself. The basis of this study was a survey of residents in the two settlements of the Mediterranean region. In order to gather information on residents' perceptions, structured and unstructured personal interviews were carried out in the region over 3 days period in spring 2007. The questionnaire in the survey was conducted by the authors. The unstructured personal interviews with students were conducted by the author. Sample size was set at 200 for the region. Data were collected and analyzed with qualitative methods. Some general outcomes can be drawn for the local government administration and ministry of tourism and, tourism planners from this study.