PLACE ATTACHMENT, HOST-GUEST INTERACTION AND SUPPORT FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: RESIDENTIAL TOURIST PERSPECTIVE

The importance of stakeholder participation in achieving sustainable and successful tourism development is well established. In particular, the attitudes of local residents toward tourism development are regarded as a critical consideration by destination management organizations. In this context, understanding the attitudes of residential tourists—voluntary migrants who, like local residents, reside in the host destination year-round—is essential for inclusive and comprehensive tourism planning. Their perceptions and support can play a pivotal role in the long-term viability and social acceptance of tourism initiatives. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of place attachment and host-guest interaction on support for tourism development. By testing this model within the context of residential tourists, it seeks to advance the existing body of literature by addressing a relatively understudied group within tourism research. This study, grounded in quantitative research methods, employed a survey technique for data collection. A total of 330 valid responses were obtained from residential tourists—primarily Northern Europeans—residing in the Alanya region of Antalya. The findings reveal that place attachment has a significant effect on support for tourism development. Furthermore, the results indicates that place attachment also exerts a statistically significant influence on host-tourist interaction. In addition, the results demonstrate that the level of hosttourist interaction is a key determinant of the degree of support for tourism development. The findings underscore the necessity of considering residential tourists in tourism planning processes. As long-term residents of the destination, residential tourists can contribute positively not only to enhancing the quality of the visitor experience through host-guest interactions but also to the promotion and marketing of the destination. Their unique position between local and tourist identities offers valuable potential for sustainable and community-oriented tourism development.