Resident attitudes towards the impact of tourism: An example of şavşat, a Cittaslow city

The relationship between the resident and tourism has been an increasingly important topic from the past to the present. For tourism to be able to contribute to development and be sustainable at a destination, the attitudes of the resident toward tourism need to be positive. In regions where operates, various positive and negative effects emerge on economic, socio-cultural, and environmental aspects. The resident exposed to the negative effects of tourism is less likely to support the development of tourism in the region. Therefore, examining the attitudes of the resident toward the impacts of tourism becomes crucial for the sustainability of tourism. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether there is a significant difference between the social-demographic characteristics of the resident in the Şavşat district, where tourism is in the development stage, and their attitudes towards the impact of tourism. Within the scope of this objective, the study employed the quantitative research method of a survey technique and utilized convenience Sampling method. The fieldwork was conducted by the researcher through face to face interviews from April 11th to 16th, 2022. As a result of the fieldwork, surveys were administered to 423 participants, and after removing incomplete and erroneous survey, 403 survey datasets were included. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using independent two-sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) methods. The analyses revealed significant differences between the attitudes of the resident toward the effects of tourism and variables such as age and frequency of interaction with tourists. However, no significant differences were found between gender, monthly income, and proximity of the place of residences to touristic areas and attitudes toward the effects of tourism. Significant differences were found in the dimensions of ''economic and social-cultural'' impacts based on the marital status, occopation groups, being born in Şavşat, and range of years living in Şavşat variables. In terms of the ''economic'' impact dimension, significant differences were also identified among participants based on their education levels and income derived from tourism. In summary, the overall conclusion of the study indicates that the attitudes of the resident in Şavşat towards the impacts of tourism are positive.