The Level of Tourism Development and Resident Attitudes: A Comparative Case Study of Coastal Destinations

This study examines the relationship between the level of tourism development and resident attitudes. The tourism area life cycle (TALC) is discussed to understand differences between destinations. Since local residents are not a homogeneous group, cluster analysis is applied to divide local residents into groups with differing perceptions. Three destinations in West Sweden are empirically studied. A four-cluster solution is used, dividing residents into development supporters, prudent developers, ambivalent/cautious and skeptics. Comparisons between the three destinations show that cluster groups are significantly different in size and attitudes toward future tourism developments. Findings show that it is not possible, as argued in previous research, to use perceived tourism impacts as an indication of destination decline. Instead, findings indicate that negative impacts of tourism development are perceived by a larger share of the population at destinations with lower levels of tourism development. The influence of the altruistic surplus phenomenon, a continuous upward movement of thresholds for carrying capacity and the existence of cognitive lock-ins are discussed in the analysis. The linearity of the TALC, in line with previous research, is questioned. The life cycle of destinations is suggested to be more complex, chaotic and dependent on the specific context of the destination.