THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM IMPACTS UPON QUALITY OF

THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM IMPACTS UPON QUALITY OF LIFE OFRESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITYByKyungmi KimDissertation submitted to the Faculty of theVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHYInHospitality and Tourism ManagementAPPROVED:Muzaffer Uysal, ChairmanKen McClearySusan HutchinsonM. Joseph SirgyJoseph ChenNovember 5, 2002Blacksburg, VirginiaKeywords: Perceptions, Tourism Impacts, Development Cycle and Quality of LifeCopyright 2002, Kyungmi Kim

The effects of tourism impacts upon Quality of Life of residents in the communityKyungmi KimCommittee Chair: Muzaffer UysalDepartment of Hospitality and Tourism ManagementABSTRACTThis study investigates how tourism affects the quality of life (QOL) of residentsin tourism destinations that vary in the stage of development. The proposed model in thisstudy structurally depicts that satisfaction with life in general derives from thesatisfaction with particular life domains. Overall life satisfaction is derived from materialwell-being, which includes the consumer’s sense of well being as it is related to materialpossessions, community well-being, emotional well-being, and health and safety wellbeing domains. The model also posits that residents’ perception of tourism impacts(economic, social, cultural, and environmental) affects their satisfaction of particular lifedomains. Lastly, this study investigates that tourism development stages moderate therelationship between residents’ perception of tourism impacts and their satisfaction withparticular life domains. Accordingly, the study proposed four major hypotheses: (1)residents’ perception of tourism impacts affects their QOL in the community, (2)residents’ satisfaction with particular life domains is affected by the perception ofparticular tourism impact dimensions, (3) residents’ satisfaction with particular lifedomains affects residents’ life satisfaction in general, and (4) the relationship betweenresidents’ perception of tourism impacts and their satisfaction with particulate lifedomains is moderated by tourism development stages.The sample population consisting of residents residing in Virginia was surveyed.The sample was proportionally stratified on the basis of tourism development stagescovering counties and cities in the state. Three hundred and twenty-one respondentscompleted the survey. Structural Equation Modeling and Hierarchical MultipleRegression were used to test study hypotheses.The results revealed that the residents’ perception of tourism impacts did affecttheir satisfaction with particular life domains significantly, and their satisfaction withparticular life domains influenced their overall life satisfaction. The hypothesizedmoderating effect of tourism development stages on the relationship between theperception of tourism impacts and the satisfaction with particular life domains was notsupported. The results indicated that the relationship between the economic impact oftourism and the satisfaction with material well-being, and the relationship between thesocial impact of tourism and the satisfaction with community well-being were strongestamong residents in communities characterized to be in the maturity stage of tourismdevelopment. This finding is consistent with social disruption theory which postulatesthat boomtown communities initially enter into a period of generalized crisis, resultingfrom the traditional stress of sudden, dramatic increases in demand for public services

and improving community infrastructure (England and Albrecht’s (1984). Additionally,residents develop adaptive behaviors that reduce their individual exposure to stressfulsituations. Through this process, the QOL of residents is expected to initially decline, andthen improve as the community and its residents adapt to the new situation (Krannich,Berry & Greider, 1989). However, when a community enters into the decline stage oftourism development, the relationship between the economic impact of tourism and thesatisfaction with material well-being, and the relationship between the social impact oftourism and the satisfaction with community well-being may be considered to be thecapacity of the destination area to absorb tourists before the host population would feelnegative impacts. This is consistent with the theoretical foundation of carrying capacity,suggesting that when tourism reaches its maturity or maximum limit, residents’ QOLmay start deteriorating.Further, the relationship between the cultural impact of tourism and thesatisfaction with emotional well-being, and the relationship between the environmentalimpact of tourism and the satisfaction with health and safety well-being were strongest inthe decline stage of tourism development. Neither the theories of social carrying capacitynor social disruption offered much to explain this result. However, this result is consistentwith Butler’s (1980) argument that in the decline stage, more tourist facilities disappearas the area becomes less attractive to tourists and the viability of existing tourist facilitiesbecomes more available to residents in the destination community. As residents’perception of negative environmental impacts increases, their satisfaction with health andsafety well-being decreases in the decline stage of tourism development unless the area asa destination provides rejuvenating or alternative planning options.It has been well established that residents in certain types of tourism communitiesmight perceive a certain type of tourism impact unacceptable, while in othercommunities, the same impact type may be more acceptable. Thus, the study suggeststhat the proposed model should be further tested and verified using longitudinal data.

To My Loving ParentsBut when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talkedlike a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I putchildish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shallsee face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.- Corinthians I: 13:10-13 -iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTA project of this magnitude is not an individual endeavor. Consequently, I dedicate thisdissertation to the many individuals who provided support, encouragement and assistancefor its realization.A very special gratitude goes to my committee members, Dr. Muzaffer Uysal, Dr. KenMcCleary, Dr. Joseph Sirgy, Dr. Susan Hutchinson and Dr. Joseph Chen, for theirsupport and input.Dr. Muzaffer Uysal, committee Chairman, has been an inspiration and a mentor for methroughout my doctoral pursuit. I am sincerely grateful for the research opportunities heafforded me. Particularly valued are his accessibility, the breadth and depth of hisknowledge, and his ability to instill confidence. In particular, his unique way ofencouraging me with research opportunities and praise has benefited me greatly and hasguided me in the accomplishment of my dissertation.For helping me stretch and reach for the best, I am grateful to Dr. Joseph M. Sirgy. Hisexpansive knowledge and firm commitment to supporting this work have set highstandards, which allowed me to explore and discover on my own. And also the gift heoffered me was the inspiration to be all that I could be, to reach beyond what isacceptable to what is excellent.I wish to thank Dr. Ken McCleary for his assistance in elucidating the research question,and resecifying unclear location and inconsistence. His cheerful nature of expansiveknowledge and academic diligence are highly valued.Dr. Susan Hutchinson’s gift of making students feel comfortable asking question isespecially appreciated. Her probing question was helpful in discerning the preceptsunderlying my research in statistical area. Gratitude is expressed for her sincerely andsagacity.I would like to thank you Dr. Joseph Chen for offering many insight and keen questionsand that contributed to this study and for showing me kindness when I needed it most.I am grateful to the National Tourism Foundation, which awarded me a “Luray CavernsGraduate Research Grant”. Without this grant, I could not be able to finish the survey ofmy study.Last, but not least, I am grateful to my mother, Byungrae L. Kim, for having alwaysemotionally supported my academic endeavors. I wish to thank my father, Wonsang, whoshowed me his love and passion for education. I would like to thank my sisters,Kyunghwa and Kyungae, and my brothers, Eungsun and Eungsoo, for their love, supportand patience.v

TABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION1.1 ------------------------------1.2 Research questions ------------------1.3 Knowledge of foundation ----------1.4 Objectives ---------------------------1.5 Theoretical basis --------------------1.6 Propositions --------------------------1.7 Structural model of the study -----1.8 Contribution of the study ---------1.8.1 Theoretical advancement in tourism study ----------------------------1.8.2 Practical application for the tourism-planning program -------------1.9 Chapter ---------------------------CHAPTER TWO:11689152021212122LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Introduction -------------------------- 232.2 Relevance of the research --------- 232.3 Tourism impacts -------------------- 252.3.1 Economic impacts - ------- 27Employment opportunities --------------------------------------------- 26Revenues from tourists for local business and standard for living - 29Cost of living ------------ 292.3.2 Social impacts ------------- 30Congestion --------------- 31Local service ------------- 31Increasing social problem ------------------------------------------------ 322.3.3 Cultural impacts ----------- 32Preservation of local culture --------------------------------------------- 33Cultural exchanges between residents and tourists ------------------- 342.3.4 Environmental impacts --- 35Pollution ------------------ 35Solid waste --------------- 36Wildlife ------------------- 362.3.5 Social carrying capacity -- 392.3.6 Life cycle model ----------- 402.3.6.1 Beginning stage - 442.3.6.2 Growth stage ---- 442.3.6.3 Maturity stage --- 452.3.6.4 Decline stage ---- 462.4 Quality of life studies ---------------- 472.4.1 Material well-being domain ------------------------------------------------ 54Standard of living -------- 54Income and employment -------------------------------------------------- 55vi