Perceptions of Tourism Impacts and Sustainability Concept: Insights from Kyrgyzstan

Tourism development is mainly dependent upon socio-cultural, economic and environmental factors. This study explores the perceptions of environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism development by the representatives of government officials, the academicians and the private sectors in Kyrgyzstan. In this scope, all three dimensions (economic, socio-cultural and environmental) need to be identified whether it has negative impacts such as cost of living, environmental degradation, pollution or imitation of foreign behaviors and culture or the positive impacts such as job creation, increased willingness to understand the different cultures and protection of nature and wildlife. Thus, if it is not planned, managed, or monitored competently, the outcome could bring fundamental consequences and it will not only hinder the further development of tourism but also might damage the residents‘ lifestyle. In order to achieve the aims and objectives of the thesis, a qualitative approach was used by applying a semi-structured interview for the data collection process. The research has revealed that current tourism development in Kyrgyzstan has both negative and positive impacts on economy, culture, and environment. Furthermore, in the light of the collected data, the main tourism development stimulators were identified such as the promotion of cultural identity and pride, enhancement of environmental quality and new perspectives to improve the quality of life. Social exchange theory was an appropriate theoretical framework to apply for this study as the sustainability concept encompasses the three dimensions of tourism development and sustainability recognizes the importance of the participation of all stakeholders in tourism development. Moreover, the residents are identified as the imperative stakeholders in tourism planning and development. Therefore, it is expected to be aware that sustainable tourism development recognizes and emphases that local residents are important stakeholders. The subject of sustainability has taken attention of many researchers in the recent years, however, these investigations were taken extensively in some developed countries rather than developing countries. Therefore, in addition, the study attempts to explore the awareness of sustainability concept of the experts and practitioners in Kyrgyzstan. The results showed that there is a lack of understanding of the concept particularly among the government officials and the private sector representatives. Moreover, the sustainability concept seems to remain invisible in the practice despite the fact that respondents had some awareness of the subject. Keywords: Sustainable Tourism, Tourism Development, Economic Impacts, Socio-cultural Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Kyrgyzstan