An investigation on the effects of tourism invesments on local people: A case study from Sille

This study aims to examine the perceptions of the local residents living in Sille, a historical neighborhood of Konya, regarding the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts of tourism, as well as their levels of sense of belonging and life satisfaction within the context of demographic variables. The data obtained from 307 participants were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, and due to the non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric tests were employed. The findings revealed significant differences particularly in the perceptions of positive economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts based on age, education level, occupational field, and income level. It was also observed that perceptions of positive impacts increased with higher levels of education and income. Regarding negative impacts, younger individuals perceived environmental effects more negatively, and retirees and those in the low-income group felt the negative economic impacts more intensely. These findings indicate that the heterogeneous structure of the local community should be taken into account in order to develop sustainable and socially inclusive tourism policies.