Residents’ participation and demographics: impact on tourism perceptions in Pokhara

Abstract

This article aims to examine the impact of residential demographics on perceptions of tourism development in the context of Pokhara (a tourism destination in Nepal). It employs a causal quantitative method based on a cross-sectional survey of community residents (N = 534) residing at least a year to assess the relationship between the socio-demographic variables and residents’ perception towards tourism development with thematic analysis conducted to explore the cause-effect relationship along the aimed variables through with data collected from five FGDs from total 60 participants. The results revealed that demographic factors were identified as predictors of residents’ attitudes towards tourism development, with the year of residency emerging as a significant predictor. Age emerged as the most influential factor shaping perceptions of tourism development. The results also indicated that older and more educated residents exhibited a greater receptivity to tourism development compared to the younger generation. Consequently, policymakers and industry stakeholders should consider implementing strategies to address these concerns and alleviate the potential negative impacts of tourism on long-time residents. This study further enhances theoretical development in tourism by illustrating how theories such as stakeholder theory (ST) and social exchange theory (SET) can elucidate intricate interactions among different constructs.