Impacts of Tourism and Community Attitude Towards Tourism: a Case Study in Sri Lanka

South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage (2010), Vol. 3, No. 2

Impacts of Tourism and Community Attitude towards Tourism: A Case Study in Sri Lanka

KOTUWEGODA PALLIYAGURUGE LALITH CHANDRALAL*

*Kotuwegoda Palliyaguruge Lalith Chandralal, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Department of Marketing Management of University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.

ABSTRACT

This report documents the results of a social impact study at Dambulla Tourism Destination in Sri Lanka. The study involved exploratory interviews with the local residents in the phase one and a field survey to assess the impacts of tourism on the local residents in the phase two. Data were collected from 400 local residents. Despite the local community were organizing huge protests against the certain tourism projects of this destination several years back, the research found a higher level of support for tourism among the local community at present. The study further revealed that there is a substantial support for further tourism development and increased visitation levels. The majority of the local residents hold that tourism has a positive effect on the local community. The most important benefits that residents felt had flowed from tourism were increased employment opportunities, property values, image of the city, appearance and infrastructure of the city and improved pride as the residents.

KEYWORDS: Impacts of tourism, Dambulla, Sri Lanka INTRODUCTION Local residents' support is essential to ensure long-term success in tourism development, and this is particularly important in regional destinations. Research suggests that it is impossible to sustain tourism to a destination that is not supported by the local people (Ahn, Lee & Shafer 2002; Twinning-Ward & Butler 2002; McCool, Moisey & Nickerson 2001).Therefore, an understanding of residents' attitudes and perceptions and how these perceptions are formed regarding tourism development would be valuable knowledge for the tourism industry...