The relationship between overtourism, quality of urban life and life satisfaction: The case of Ayvalik

Due to reasons such as technological advances, increased use of social media, improved transportation facilities, and improvements in working conditions, excessive tourist mobility and its effects, especially in popular destinations, attract the attention of different researchers from different disciplines. The rapid developments in the tourism sector, which is an important source of income for destinations with the added value it creates, have not been kept up with in terms of creating sustainable tourism policies. This situation causes city dwellers to encounter problems such as increased living costs, deterioration in infrastructure and superstructure, traffic, noise pollution, parking problems, and excessive use of recreational areas. It is assumed that as a result of the effects of overtourism, there may be changes in the quality of urban life and life satisfaction of local people in a destination. In line with this assumption, the purpose of the research is to determine the relationship between the concepts of overtourism, quality of urban life and life satisfaction. Ayvalik is subject to a large influx of tourists, particularly during the summer months; this can lead to various social, physical, and economic problems. As a result of intense tourism, Ayvalik has evolved from a small coastal town into an urban area, and has faced both material and spiritual challenges during this transformation. In this context, the local population of Ayvalik, directly affected by this transformation, constitutes the population of this research. In this context, a survey was conducted between June and September 2024 to 440 people living in Ayvalik. The obtained data were analyzed with statistical programs. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes were conducted to determine the relationships and sub-dimensions between the variables of the research. Then, analyzes were conducted to determine the statistical differences between the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, their communication status with tourists and the variables used in the research. After the difference tests, correlation analysis was carried out for the research hypotheses. According to the correlation analysis results; Statistically significant relationships were determined between the perceptions and sub-dimensions of overtourism, quality of urban life and life satisfaction of local people living in Ayvalik. Finally, an attempt was made to determine the effect status between the research variables in line with the purpose of the research. Accordingly, it was determined that the participants' perceptions of overtourism affected the participants' perceptions of quality of urban life and life satisfaction at a statistically significant level. In line with the results of the analysis, suggestions were made for the stakeholders of the tourism sector in Ayvalik.