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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International 

License. 

 

Events and Tourism Review                                     
 
December 2021                                                                                                                                            Volume 4 No. 2      

   

 

Social Impacts of Tourism Perceived by Host Communities – A Review Paper 

 

 

 

 

Jumana Baqaain 

 

Suosheng Wang 

 

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis 

Correspondence: jbaqaain@iu.edu (J. Baqaain) 

 

 

 
 

 

 

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Review Paper. Events and Tourism Review, 4(2), 36-48.  
 

 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            37  

 

 
 

 

 

  Abstract 

 

This study aims to explore the significant social impacts of tourism experienced by residents in 

different societies and of different cultural backgrounds and the managerial ramifications for 

future tourism development. It is a descriptive, literature-rich study that investigates fifteen case 

studies focusing on the positive and negative social impacts of tourism as seen by residents or the 

host communities, a review of the theoretical concepts related to the topic, and factors that cause 

the positive-negative social impacts. 

 

 Keywords: Sustainable Tourism; Host Communities; Impacts; Perceptions; Review 
 

 

 

Introduction 
 

Tourism has become a significant industry that has a vital role in developing many 

destinations. Tourism benefits are unquestionable; it can bring economic, environmental, and social 

benefits to the host communities. Tourism development generates an enormous job market, can 

enhance the quality of life, improve the infrastructure of a destination, and develop more facilities 

(Zhuang, Yao, & Li, 2019). It can increase cultural exchange and environmental benefits, such as 

protecting parks and wildlife (Andereck, Valentine, Knopf, & Vogt, 2005). Even though tourism's 

potential is measured in terms of its economic impacts as it increases the income level, attracts local 

/international investments (Zhuang et al., 2019), tourism is considered as a dynamic sector that can 

add a lot to the social development of a country.  

There is a growing concern among academics and practitioners about the impacts/effects of tourism 

development on the host communities, considering residents as crucial stakeholders in supporting 

tourism development. Besides, the support for tourism by the host community is associated with 

how residents perceive the costs and benefits that tourism brings. Tourism development impacts are 

perceived differently by residents of different countries and cultural backgrounds, and host 

communities' attitudes fluctuate between negative and positive (Zamani Farahaniab & Musaa, 

2012).  

Tourism development can bring huge benefits, but it also has potential costs; for example, 

high growth rates often result in local identity and culture loss when poor planning and management 

are in place (Andereck et al., 2005). On the one hand, the social benefits of tourism are tremendous. 

Tourism can enhance the image of a host destination, learning, awareness, family bonding, 

community pride, an appreciation of ethnic identity, increased understanding and tolerance of 

others, and stronger cultural identity (Andereck et al., 2005; Besculides, Lee, & McCormick, 2002). 

On the other hand, negative impacts might include racial discrimination, the damage of the family 

structure, increase in crime, prostitution, traffic congestion, and crowding (Zhuang et al., 2019; 

Andereck et al., 2005). Other negative cultural impacts also include over-development, assimilation, 

conflict, and xenophobia, and artificial reconstruction (Besculides et al., 2002). 

As a result, a balanced development plan should be created from the starting point to increase the 

benefits and mitigate the negative impacts resulting from the presence of tourists in the host 

destination; because improper poor tourism planning can decrease the quality of the tourist 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

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Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            38  

 

experience and go in hand with degradation of the communities’ quality of Life (Pham, Andereck, 

& Vogt, 2019).  

Therefore, this paper focuses on the social impacts of the tourism activities and growth as 

perceived by the local communities in different regions around the globe. The Social impacts are the 

'human impacts' of the tourism activities at a tourist destination and the consequences arising from 

the presence of tourists at the destination and their interaction with the residents (Jovivic, 2011; 

Gjerald, 2005; Zhuang et al., 2019). This interaction brings outcomes such as modifications in the 

social character of the host's community, including their daily life, value system, family 

relationships, attitudes, opinions, traditional beliefs, and behavioral patterns (Jovivic, 2011; Gjerald, 

2005; Zhuang et al., 2019). This study explores how local communities perceive these impacts, 

whether positively or negatively, the factors that cause these different perceptions, and the 

managerial implications for a better tourism development in the future. 

 

Review of Case Studies on Social Impacts of Tourism  

 

The Literature is rich in the empirical studies that have examined the social impact of 

tourism development as perceived by residents or host communities. Many researchers have been 

studying the social implications of tourism since the early 1970s (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2007; 

Gjerald, 2005). 

There are several reasons for this growing interest in understanding residents' attitudes 

towards the impacts of tourism. In the article of Sharma, Dyer, Carter, & Gursoy (2008), they 

claimed that the possible benefits and costs that tourism may introduce to a region as it expands 

must be understood and investigated for the industry to gain greater acceptance and support, and for 

a socially cohesive community to emerge. In addition, they claimed that it is critical for local 

governments, policymakers, and businesses to better understand the factors that influence host 

communities' support for tourism. Moreover, negative attitudes among residents, for example, could 

hinder long-term tourism development in a region, and the success of the industry depends on the 

friendliness of the locals. Zamani-Farahaniab & Musaa (2012) argued that a cheerful host is critical 

in establishing a positive image of the touristic area, which leads to positive word of mouth and can 

influence positively repeated visitation to a destination.  

This research selected fifteen cases to work on, which took place in America, Europe, Asia, 

the Middle East, and Africa, representing developed and developing countries, urban and rural 

areas, various cultures, secular and religious regions, and various stages of tourism development. 

These selected studies have been recently published in highly ranked tourism journals such as 

"International journal of hospitality & tourism administration," "Journal of Tourism and Cultural 

Change," "Annals of Tourism Research," and "International Journal of Tourism Research." The 

study's primary purpose is to investigate the positive and negative social impacts of tourism as 

perceived by host communities and illustrate the essential factors that are deemed to affect residents' 

perceptions of tourism development. 

 

Brief of the host communities being surveyed in the case studies 

1. Hispanic and non -Hispanic communities' byway in southwestern Colorado, the United 

States (Besculides et al., 2002): This study examines the perceptions of cultural tourism by Hispanic 

and non-Hispanic residents living along the Los Caminos Antigua’s Scenic and Historic byway in 

southwestern Colorado, the United States. The LCA byway is 129 miles long and covers the 

southern portion of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. The scenic byway was built to 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            39  

 

preserve the beauty of the scenic and to develop more economic opportunities for the local 

communities through enhancing tourism development. The primary goal of the LCA was to 

conserve the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups of the San Luis Valley. The byway passes 

through three counties, two of which are the poorest in Colorado. Communities along it ranges in 

population from 700 to 7,500 residents. The primary source of their income is agriculture, either 

farming or cattle ranching. The Hispanic is the ethnic rural community living along the ancient 

roads having their traditional lifestyle, their unique culture that is isolated from the American culture 

due to geographical and historical isolation.  

2. Arizona, USA (Andereck et al., 2005): According to the researchers, this study 

differentiates itself from most research in recent years because it is anchored in a U.S. statewide 

population sample, thus providing a broader representation of the general population than most past 

investigations. Of note are the inclusion of many urban residents (including the Phoenix, Arizona, 

metropolitan area of over three million) and a large proportion of an ethnic minority (Latino), a 

situation different from past research conducted in rural areas with essentially Anglo populations. 

The resident’s income was between $20,000-$59.000 and education level higher than school 

diploma. At the time of the study, Arizona witnessed economic growth in all its different areas and a 

decent level of tourism development. Most of the respondents were from urban cities.  

3. Mauritius (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2007): Tourism contributes significantly to the 

economy after the manufacturing and agricultural sector. Residents are in urban, rural, and coastal 

regions. The host is stationary living his everyday life and has limited spending capacity. The 

differences in the financial situations between the wealthy tourists and the host community with 

limited spending capacity. This is because in the rural areas of Mauritius, tourism is a new activity, 

and as such, the level of tourism development in such locations is low. This can be explained by the 

fact that urban and coastal tourism is prevalent in Mauritius, and there is a high concentration of 

tourism in such areas.  

4. The Sunshine Coast region, Australia (Sharma et al., 2008): The region is located 100 km 

north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. The Sunshine Coast region has experienced consistent 

annual growth of both domestic and international tourists. Most of the residents who participated in 

the survey were in the age group of over 34 years. 18% of the responses reported that they received 

income from tourism, 29% of respondents had an annual household income of more than $60,000.  

5. Norway (Gjerald, 2005): In the case of the North Cape, both hosts and guests come from 

industrialized nations maritime communities in other parts of Scandinavia; the nature of the North 

Cape tourism is highly seasonal. The fieldwork was carried out in two different fishing villages, 

Skarsvag and Honningsvag. Skarsvag is the northernmost fishing village globally and has 

approximately 100 inhabitants. Honningsvag is the center of the North Cape borough with a resident 

population of 2565. Most of the inhabitants consider themselves islanders, 'mageryværinger,' and 

have close ties to other communities of the North Cape borough, especially Honningsvag. Mass 

tourism is also much more present in Honningsvag, and that is why Honningsvag, in addition to 

Skarsvag, was chosen to be the central location of the fieldwork. 

6. Sare’in and Masooleh in Iran (Zamani-Farahaniab & Musaa, 2012): Sarin is a town in the 

northwest of Iran inhabited by 4446 people, providing a wide variety of tourist activities and 

attracting two million tourists annually for wellness and health purposes. The attraction is famed for 

its hot mineral springs. Masooleh, located in the northern part of Iran, is well known for its natural 

beauty, ancient history and architecture, and desirable climate conditions. The area is listed on the 

ICHTO, and in its peak season it might host 10,000 tourists per day. Less than one thousand people 

inhabit the town, and the job opportunities are abundant, especially in the tourism sector. They are a 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            40  

 

small town where tourist attraction is in the vicinity. The tourist development is in the hand of the 

local community, and the tourist facilities are available in the area. 

7. The Cradle Coast region, Australia (Tovar & Lockwood, 2008): The study was conducted 

in the Cradle Coast region in the state of Tasmania, northwest of Australia, which is known for 

herds of dairy and beef cattle, vegetables and other horticulture, forest mountains, and the timber 

and mining industries. The estimated resident population of the study area was 102,830. The 

population declined across most areas of the study region because of net migration outflows. 

Developing a regional tourism industry has been crucial in reversing this economic and social 

decline.  

8. Baan Tawai, OTOP Tourism Village, Thailand (Huttasin, 2008): Baan Tawai, located in 

Chiangmai Province in the northern region of Thailand, is well known for its craftsmanship in 

antique reproductions and the villagers’ fascinating woodcarving skills. Some women in the village 

were employed to polish and color the works. Baan Tawai’s reputation and popularity as a village of 

wood craftsmen grew by word of mouth. In 2004, the OTOP Tourism Village Plan named Baan 

Tawai the first OTOP Tourism Village in Thailand. This resulted in Baan Tawai becoming one of 

the most popular tourist attractions in the North of Thailand. 

9. Lenggong Valley, Malaysia (Rasoolimanesh, Jaafar, Ahmad, & Barghi, 2017): Located in 

the northern state of Perak, the valley was recognized as a WHS in 2012. Situated in a rural area, 

most Lenggong Valley’s residents work in the agricultural sector. Lenggong Valley’s total 

population was 15,036. The unique combination of natural and cultural assets makes it an attractive 

destination for local and international tourists. Lenggong Valley is currently at the early stage of 

tourism development. Because of their involvement in the tourism industry, the residents were more 

aware of and subsequently more concerned about the negative impacts of tourism. 

10. Petra, Jordan (Alhasanat & Hyasat, 2011; Alrwajfah, Almeida-García, & Cortés-Macías, 

2019): Petra is the most famous attraction in Jordan. It was voted in 2007 as one of the “New 7 

Wonders of the World” and is considered one of the world’s most important cultural heritage sites. 

The total number of visitors to Petra in 2007 was 577,860. Located in the south of Jordan, Petra is 

the primary historical site with antiquities dating back to 7500 B.C. The archaeological park covers 

an area of 200 square km and is surrounded by Sandstone Mountains, which provide natural 

fortification. Petraeus (the local community in Petra) themselves have a passion for and pride in 

their national culture and heritage. The Petraians are inherently loyal to the place and all its 

historical associations, and this passion is often the motivation for becoming involved in tourism. 

The population of this study is representative of five residential areas around Petra, comprising a 

total number of 25,366 people, covering Wadi Musa, Taybeh, Rajiv, Umm Saihoun, and Baydha, 

who are characterized by their Arab-Islamic culture and restrictive, conservative traditions.  

11. Dubai (Zaidan, 2016): Dubai ranks the fifth among top global destinations for 

international travelers. Dubai is one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations of the early twenty-

first century and attracts millions of visitors each year. The influences are not always obvious, as 

they are challenging to measure and are often indirect or hard to identify. The impacts become more 

evident when tourism leads to changes in the rooted cultural image, as in the case of Dubai, and thus 

intimidates local ethnic identity. Conversely, tourism can also cause positive impacts as it fosters 

pride among residents of their city. 

12. Honk Kong, China (Piuchan, Chan, & Kaale, 2018): The tourism industry in Hong Kong 

has become an economic pillar, with the main tourists coming from mainland China, with 40 million 

visitors in 2013 out of 54 million tourists in Hong Kong. Most of the respondents were occupying 

job positions at the entry-level in different organizations.  

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

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                                                                                                                                                                            41  

 

13. Kaiping City, China (Zhuang et al., 2019): Kaiping is in Guangdong Province, China. 

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages feature multi-storied defensive tower clusters in several villages. The 

study was carried out at three ancient villages (Zili Village, Majianglong Village, and Jinjiangli 

Village) around the towers adjacent to each other geographically. Zili Village has 15 different styles 

of architecture with varying shapes of elegant roofs, most of which were built in the 1920s and 

1930s. Although the three ancient villages were inscribed in the list of WHS at the same time on 28 

June 2007 and gained unprecedented chances for developing their tourism industry, the tourism 

developments in the villages were not synchronized. Zili Village, Majianglong Village, and 

Jinjiangli Village opened in 2003, 2007, and 2010 respectively, and thus their levels of tourism 

development are different.  

14. Botswana (Mbaiwa, 2005): Botswana’s Okavango is a place of 122,000 people who 

belongs to different ethnic groups, over 90% of these residents depend directly or indirectly on the 

resources of Delta to sustain their livelihood. The main economic activities for the rural people are 

fishing, hunting, rain-fed, crop farming, and livestock production. Although various ethnic groups 

have different social and economic activities, there are similarities in their lifestyle in terms of 

norms, traditions, and customs. Botswana’s tourism industry depends on wildlife resources and the 

wilderness experience in the Okavango and the Chobe areas. As a result, resources such as 

museums, historical sites, rock paintings, cultural and sports events remained untapped in their 

contribution to the tourism industry. 

15. Crete (Andriotis, 2004): From 1971 to 2000, the number of total arrivals by charter 

flights to Crete increased from 15,500 to almost 2.5 million. Tourism in Crete generates 

approximately 500 billion Greek Drachmasayear, and about 40% of the local population are directly 

or indirectly involved in tourism activities. Today tourism is the most extensive economic activity 

on the island.  

 

Findings from the Review 

 

Summary of Social Impacts Being Reported in the Case Studies 

The table below illustrates the main positive and negative impacts being reported in the 

selected case studies. 

 

Table 1: social impacts as perceived by the local community 
Type of host 

community  

Positive impacts  Negative impacts  

1.The rural 

community of the 

Hispanic, USA 

(ethnic groups) 

Learning/awareness/greater knowledge of my 

culture/heritage.  

Stronger ethnic identity  

An amelioration of regional image. 

Preservation of the Cultural Heritage /resources 

/traditions. 

Increased understanding and tolerance of others. 

Little concern that sharing their 

culture might have negative 

impacts. 

2.Phoenix-Arizona  

Urban Area, USA 

Awareness of my heritage. 

Increase the community pride and sense of 

belonging. 

Improve the social services and amenities. 

Enhance the image of the area. 

litter, traffic, congestion, and 

crime. 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

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                                                                                                                                                                            42  

 

3.Mauritius urban, 

rural, and coastal 

regions 

Enhance the image of the area. Worsening the image of the area 

Petty crime is becoming a 

problem. Prostitution is another 

emerging problem. 

Seasonality problem. 

 

4.The Sunshine 

Coast region, 

Australia Urban 

Area  

Opportunity to meet new people, greater knowledge 

of my culture and society. 

 

Traffic congestion and crime 

incidents. 

5.North Cape, 

Norway (village)  

Stimulation of pride and the sense of community 

belonging  

Enhance resident's quality of life and satisfaction  

crime and alcoholism, litter, 

traffic congestions, and 

overcrowding. 

6.Sarin, and 

Masooleh, Iran 

(touristic towns). 

Preserve the historical sites, enhance the image, 

improve quality and life satisfaction, better local 

infrastructure, recreational opportunities, 

maintenance of public facilities, cultural exchange, 

cultural preservation.  

Do not perceive any negative 

impacts due to tourism. 

7.the Cradle Coast 

region, Australia 

(rural region)  

Stimulation of pride, enhance the quality of life. 

Increase in recreational options. 

Overcrowding  

8.OTOP Valley, 

Thailand (rural 

community ). 

Stimulation of pride. 

Preservation of the cultural heritage and traditions  

Uplifting women by providing additional job 

opportunities. 

Appreciation and awareness of own culture. 

Do not perceive any negative 

impacts due to tourism.  

9.Lenggong 

Valley, Malaysia 

(rural and WHS) 

Improve the public infrastructure and public 

facilities. 

Conservations of historical sites.  

They don’t perceive that tourism 

would result in traffic congestion, 

noise, and pollution. 

10.Petra, Jordan Stimulation of national, locals’ pride  

An amelioration of regional image. 

Increased understanding and tolerance of other 

cultures.  

Improve the public infrastructure. 

The behavior of young 

generations becomes worse. 

Degradation of morality. 

Crowding. 

The demonstration effect. 

11.Dubai  Stimulation of locals’ pride. 

Improve the public infrastructure and public 

facilities. 

Better quality of life.  

Increase in recreational options and activities.  

 

Loss of cultural identity /Tourists 

do not respect the norms of the 

residents. 

Increased crime  

Conflicts and tension arise 

between the community 

12.Hong Kong  Improved public infrastructure.  

Improved education.  

Overcrowding in public facilities  

Rude awakening. 

Worsen the image of the city. 

Negative impact on the local 

culture. 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

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                                                                                                                                                                            43  

 

13.three ancient 

villages and WHSs, 

China 

Strengthen the community bonds.  

Improve the quality of life and lifestyle of people; 

residents are less money-oriented. 

Enhance the sense of community belonging.  

Less traveling for younger generations. 

 

Family bonds loosened.  

14. Rural 

community and 

ethnic groups 

(Botswana) 

Appreciation of own culture. 

Stimulation of local pride.  

Revitalized and preservation of cultural 

practices/traditions. 

Conversation of wildlife and nature. 

Improved public infrastructure and social services.  

Empowerment of local community.  

Enclave tourism, racism, and 

relocation of local communities. 

Breaking up the family structure. 

Increase in crime and prostitution. 

Demonstration effect. 

 The behavior of young 

generations becomes worse. 

15.Island  

Urban community, 

Crete  

Improvement in public infrastructure. 

Increase of cultural activities (Crafts, arts & music).  

The local community has no 

concerns about negative impacts 

on the social level. 

 

Influencing Factors of Residents’ Perceived Social Impacts 

According to the previous studies, local communities are not likely to share identical 

attitudes towards tourism impacts. While there is no evidence on the set of factors that lead to the 

raised positive or negative perceptions, the reviewed articles illustrated some of the factors that 

would be influential in affecting residents' support for tourism development and helping explain the 

relationship between tourism impacts and host population perceptions (Zamani-Farahaniab & 

Musaa, 2012). According to Alhasanat and Hyasat (2011), the factors that influence the perception 

of tourism impacts can be classified into two groups, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic factors refer to 

dependency on tourism, community attachment, distance from tourism zone, interaction with 

tourists, personal values, and demographic variables such as age, gender, and education (Alrwajfah 

et al., 2019). Extrinsic factors include the type of tourism, tourists, stage of tourism development, 

seasonality. Examples of such factors are discussed below. 

Distance from the tourist zone: According to Alrwajfah et al. (2019), people living within the 

tourist zone have more negative attitudes towards the development and are concerned about the 

negative impacts of tourism in the area. At the same time, other studies dispute and claim residents 

living close to the tourism zone perceive more positive effects of tourism than residents who do not 

live in it. The results revealed in Huttsain's (2008) study support the claim. 

Length of residence: residents with the most substantial ties to an area, whether through 

place attachment, long-term residency, often have positive perceptions of tourism and its 

development (Alrwajfah et al., 2019). Other studies debated that the longer the residents live in the 

community, the more hostile they are toward tourism (Andriotis, 2004). 

Socio-demographic: educations/ income /gender and age. Residents' attitudes are not 

significantly influenced by socio-demographic variables, including gender, age, and the community 

attachment variables, as claimed by Andereck et al. (2005). Besides, the study by Tovar and 

Lockwood (2008) agreed that gender, age, and length of residence did not influence respondents' 

perceptions of specific impacts at the personal level, in addition at the community level, there was 

no proof that either length of residency or distance from the tourist zone influenced residents` 

perceptions. Some cases revealed that older residents have more positive attitudes toward the 

industry than younger residents, younger and more educated residents were more worried about the 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

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Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            44  

 

negative impacts of tourism development on their community (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017; Nunkoo 

& Ramkissoon, 2007), whereas in the study of Gjerald (2005), the researchers found that older 

generations seem to be concerned about the family structure and family lifestyle more than the 

younger people. The study in Crete by Andriotis (2004) revealed that the most significant variable 

affecting residents' perceptions within the sample was education. 

Dependency on the industry: The higher the level of engagement in the industry, the more 

positively residents perceive the impacts of tourism (Alhasanat & Hyasat, 2011; Andereck et al., 

2005; Andriotis, 2004). On the other hand, the respondents involved in the tourism industry had 

more concerns about the perceived negative impacts of tourism in Lenggong Valley, Malaysia 

(Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017). 

Other impacting factors also include the involvement of the host community in the decision-

making, awareness about the industry, the number, and type of tourists, the ratio between tourists 

and residents (Zamani-Farahaniab & Musaa, 2012). 

 

Managerial Implications Drawn from the Case Studies 

The following comments are drawn from the selected case studies, which are deemed to 

have important managerial implications for the tourism industry. 

1. A steady, measured increase in tourism balances tourist satisfaction and retention, positive 

word-of-mouth, and interest in the local community. This aids in the progressive development of 

infrastructure and allows the host community sufficient time to acclimate. 

2. Increase community participation in the process of decision-making. In planning, 

residents' participation should be a technique taken by diverse communities seeking sustainable 

tourism development. Community participation empowers residents by involving them in problem 

identification and decision-making. Local authorities can educate residents about the unique skills to 

manage tourism (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2007; Huttsain, 2008). 

3. It is important to educate tourists about the local culture and appropriate behavior to avoid 

cultural conflicts between hosts and tourists. Tourist guides should play an important role in 

informing tourists about the host community's culture, values, and beliefs (Alhasanat & Hyasat, 

2011; Piuchan et al., 2018). 

4. The local community will highly value tourism development if policymakers increase the 

benefits and the social welfare while targeting tourists with high-capacity spending rather than 

traditional marketing that encourage mass tourism (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2007). 

5. Policymakers should consider the destination's capacity and ability to absorb the influx of 

tourists (Zaidan, 2016). 

6. The involvement of all stakeholders in tourism planning (i.e., local authorities, non-

governmental organizations, private enterprises, and residents) should have discussions regularly 

and when needed (Mbaiwa, 2005). Local participation should start in the early stages of the 

planning process and stay active through the decision-making process (Zaidan, 2016). 

7. A benefits-based approach to managing tourism should consider both the benefits and 

costs to residents and focus on management actions that ensure benefits to their communities 

(Besculides et al., 2002). 

8. Awareness campaigns are necessary to educate the residents and sharpen their beliefs in 

the benefits of tourism development and try to influence the residents to perceive the negative 

impacts of tourism (Andereck et al., 2005). 

9. It is also essential for the tourism planners to consider the views and concerns of younger 

people and the well-educated into the tourism policies and strategies (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2007; 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

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Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017). 

10. A decent awareness of the physiological and sociological motivations behind the 

residents' different attitudes will help solve the conflict and lead to a better future in tourism. 

(Andereck et al., 2005). 

 

Discussion  

 

This paper explored the social impacts of tourism as perceived by the residents, as well as 

the factors causing these negative and positive perceptions, in an effort to identify the managerial 

implications for tourism development. The summaries of the articles on the social impacts of 

tourism reveal that the residents` attitudes toward tourism development fluctuate between negative 

and positive and vary between countries with different cultural backgrounds.  

This study distinguished itself from other studies in that it has made a comparison between fifteen 

different destinations which took place in America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, in 

developed and developing countries, urban and rural places, various cultures, secular and religious 

regions, and various stages of tourism development. 

Tourism was perceived as a reason to enhance the destination image, development of local 

infrastructure, improvement in social services (health, education), and increase recreational options. 

The positive social impacts as perceived by the local communities are increased community pride, a 

stronger sense of national identity, and community belonging. These positive outcomes are reasons 

that residents of a destination perceived better quality of life and an increase in life satisfaction, 

especially at the initial stages of the tourism development, as tourism can be seen as the main driver 

for local government to renovate the public infrastructure and to increase the number of shopping 

facilities, restaurants, and recreational facilities to attract tourists to the destination.  

Moreover, in many rural communities with ethnic groups, tourism increases residents' pride 

in the local culture and appreciation of their own culture. Tourism helps residents better understand 

and tolerate other cultures. Restoration of historic buildings, empowerment of the locals, 

preservation of local and cultural practices are perceived by rural communities as positive outcomes 

associated with tourism. One of the unique positive impacts, as perceived by the local community in 

the rural area of OTOP Valley Thailand, is uplifting the position of women by providing additional 

job opportunities.  

A general conclusion is that tourism development is highly welcomed by different host 

communities, especially at the inception stage of the growth. In particular, the findings of the studies 

conducted in the rural communities in the developing countries coincide with the Doxey Irritation 

model (Doxey, 1975) that residents are at the Euphoria stage at the initial stages of the development. 

Residents do not perceive any negative impacts due to tourism. Communities with ethnic groups are 

more concerned about sustaining their own culture while sharing it with tourists from different 

cultures. Therefore, this is one of the biggest challenges that interface community planners to 

maintain sustainable growth with the minor damage to these indigenous groups.  

On the contrary, the findings in the study by Mbaiwa (2005) on Botswana focus more on the 

negative impacts incurred at the initial stage of tourism development in developing countries. 

Although tourism is a new economic sector in the region, the rural community perceived tourism as 

the reason for enclave tourism, racism, and relocation of local communities, and breaking up the 

family structure, which are unique negative impacts that have been discovered in this paper. Another 

finding that opposed the concept of the Doxey Irritation Index (Doxey, 1975) is the study on the 

Crete Island, a mature tourism area by Andriotis (2004), who disputed that although tourism in the 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            46  

 

area is at the mature stage, urban residents do not perceive any negative impacts, and their 

perceptions have not yet reached the antagonism stage.  

The findings of the study also showed that residents in urban communities in the developed 

countries perceived traffic congestions, crowding, litter, and increase in crime incidents and 

prostitution as the common negative social impacts of tourism development. These are physical 

impacts that have a great influence on residents' quality of life and negatively impact the resident's 

perceptions toward future tourism development. Following the Butler's (1980) Life Cycle Model 

(Butler, 2006), the studied areas in the developed countries might see their tourism at the stagnation 

stage where the existing infrastructure (roads, railways) may not be able to cope with the high influx 

of tourists and the capacities of many facilities are exceeded which led to traffic congestion and 

overcrowding. Policymakers must consider the high number of tourists and the destination capacity 

with the rapid urbanization to avoid negative impacts of the development. These negative impacts 

are the main challenges for policymakers to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects and improve the 

transportation network, reduce traffic congestion, and noise, and decrease crime in the region 

(Sharma et al., 2008) to maintain a sustainable tourism development.  

The findings support the theory of the demonstration effect, which has been discussed by 

many researchers, that tourism may impact values, customs, and traditions in addition to changes in 

dressing patterns (Mbaiwa, 2005). These negative impacts are primarily noticed in developing 

countries (e.g., in Dubai, Petra, and Botswana). The cultural divergences might be the reason behind 

this negative perception. In other words, the more significant the difference of characteristics (race, 

nationality, appearance, culture, and affluence) between the interacting groups, the greater the 

potential for negative social impacts (Robin & Ramkissoon, 2007).  

In the cases taking place in the Arabic countries visited by western tourists, the younger 

generations are highly influenced by the tourists` behavior and lifestyles. This influence affects their 

behavior negatively and might lead to the loss of their cultural identity. Moreover, tourists might not 

unintentionally respect the local values and beliefs; therefore, conflicts might arise among both 

parties, as in the case of Dubai. Nevertheless, one case study showed some contradictive results. 

Iran, a Muslim country where tourism is at the early stage in the towns of Sarin and Masooleh, 

people do not perceive tourism development as being associated with any negative impacts on the 

local community, in contrast with the results identified in the countries of Dubai, UAE and Petra, 

Jordan which are also Muslim and influenced by severe Islamic principles. These countries 

perceived that tourism is associated with many negative impacts on the host communities. Besides, 

Zamani-Farahaniab and Musaa (2012) debated in the case study of Iran that the higher Islamic 

Practice and Religious Piety among respondents, the more likely they are to view that tourism 

provides positive benefit. Given the inconsistency, more studies are suggested to explore the 

consistency or reasons for not being consistent.    

 

Conclusion 

 

A review of the recently published case studies indicates that, in sum, the social impacts 

refer to changes in the quality of life of local people, behaviors, beliefs, and lifestyles at tourism 

destinations because of the interaction between tourists from different cultural backgrounds and 

residents. These impacts can be positive or negative; it depends on the type of community that 

perceives the consequences, the level of development, and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that 

influence residents' perceptions.  

The findings of this study show many inconsistencies of the impacts as perceived by local 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2021 Jumana Baqaain and Suosheng Wang 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Baqaain, J. & Wang, S. (2021) / Events and Tourism Review, 4(2) 
                                                                                                                                                                            47  

 

communities in different countries, which are deemed possible as the host communities are not 

identical and similar. Still, it is believed that positive tourism impacts motivate the community to 

support tourism development and participate in tourism activities. The sustainability and support of 

the tourism industry depend on the positive perceptions of local /host residents (Rasoolimanesh et 

al, 2017) as well as the active participation of the host communities. Therefore, if the tourism 

development is appropriately managed, it may increase the positive perceptions of the social impacts 

among the local communities and subsequently lead to mitigation of residents' negative attitudes. 

Moreover, the social impacts of tourism should be examined constantly at each specific destination 

to increase the benefits of tourism. 

Such research sets a good foundation for similar studies in the future in terms of exploring 

the wide variety of positive and negative social impacts existing in various host communities, what 

specific social impacts of tourism may be expected in different host communities, and what factors 

to be aware of with regards to better understanding the causes of the impacts. Further, the 

managerial implications will be helpful for the destination planners and policymakers about how to 

increase the positive impacts and mitigate the negative impacts to ensure sustainable tourism 

development in the host communities. 

 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021), 36-48, DOI: 10.18060/25965                                                                                                  

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