Developing a community support model for tourism

This study developed a model of community support based on the social exchange theory. The model contained fourteen hypothesized relationships and was tested using the LISREL package from responses collected from residents of Grand-Baie, Mauritius. Results indicated that support was influenced by perceived benefits, perceived costs, and community satisfaction. Perceived benefits were affected by community satisfaction, institutional trust, power to influence tourism, and neighborhood conditions. Community satisfaction and neighborhood conditions did not exert a significant influence on perceived costs. Power to influence tourism was also not found to affect community satisfaction. Policy implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Research highlights► Perceived benefits and costs of tourism influence support for the industry. ► Trust, power, and neighborhood conditions influence perceived benefits of tourism. ► Neighborhood conditions and trust influence overall community satisfaction. ► Overall community satisfaction influences perceived benefits and support. ► Social exchange theory is relevant in explaining community support for tourism.