Socio-Cultural Effects of Tourism on Local People: Antalya Example

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to analyze how tourism movements in the centre and districts of Antalya affect the local people and their feelings and thoughts about tourism. The research population consists of local people born and raised in Antalya and people living there for a long time. The study determined face-to-face interviews with 82 participants by snowball sampling between 01.02.2024 and 01.04.2024. Content analysis and descriptive analysis were applied to the data. Participants' perceptions and support for tourism development were examined through variables such as gender, age, place of birth, education level, life expectancy, profession, and interaction with tourists, and the hypotheses were tested. According to the research findings, 31 participants do not work in a tourism-related job, while 51 participants work in the tourism sector. While 98% of the participants who have relations with tourism stated that they want tourism to develop further in the region, 42% of participants who have no connection with tourism stated that they wish for further tourism development in the area. Local participants in the area have a more antagonistic approach to tourism development and support tourism development less than those who are not local. In addition, in line with the research findings, it was observed that individuals who interact with tourists approach the development of tourism more positively, and their support for tourism development is higher than individuals who do not interact with tourists.