The Effect of Responsible Tourism Perception on Place Attachment and Support for Sustainable Tourism Development: The Moderator Role of Environmental Awareness

Abstract

In this study, the effect of local people’s perceptions regarding responsible tourism on place attachment and the moderator role of environmental awareness in the effect of place attachment on support for sustainable tourism development has been determined. The research was conducted on local people in a sample of Antalya Manavgat, one of the most important tourism destinations in Turkey. The data were obtained through convenience sampling method, and the analysis was carried out with 482 questionnaires. The AMOS program was used to test the hypothetical model developed within the context of the research, and the Process macro (model 1) was preferred to determine the moderator effect. As a result of the evaluation, it has been found that the sub-dimensions of economic, social, and environmental perception positively affect the place attachment of local people, while the cultural perception sub-dimension has no effect. The effect of place attachment on support for sustainable tourism development is another finding of the study. Moreover, the moderator role of environmental awareness in the effect of place attachment on support for sustainable tourism development has also been determined.