Irritation or disappointment: host attitudes towards tourism development in villages

Abstract

Among the various theories and models assessing host attitudes towards tourism development (TD), the Irridex Model is one of the most frequently used frameworks. This study aims to reveal whether the residents of two villages in Antalya, the tourism capital of Turkey, have different attitudes towards TD by investigating their expectations and the benefits and problems of TD. Given the fact that villages are vulnerable settlements in cases of intensive TD, the study was conducted in two villages that differed from each other in terms of the time spans in which they witnessed these developments (10 years), and the intensity of the tourism they experienced. Following conversational interviews, the primary finding of this study is that the feeling of ‘disappointment’ is more prevalent than irritation in these villages. The other findings concern a comprehensive framework for the villagers’ approach to TD, which may help in the development of effective tourism policies.