The Effect of Sustainable Tourism Development on the Quality of Life of the Local Population: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Sustainable tourism development is the core of a destination's further development. The successful implementation of such development depends crucially on the local population's attitude. The role and importance of local people’s perceptions in tourism are central to the design of sustainable, long-term development strategies, which, in turn, influence the overall quality of life. Sustainable development is therefore an important determinant of the quality of life in tourism-oriented communities. Quality of life serves as an indicator of whether local development benefits residents rather than just tourists and investors — an aspect fundamental to sustainability from a local perspective. This study aims to examine locals' perceptions of quality of life and sustainable tourism development. The research uses factor analysis to extract latent dimensions that shape perceptions of sustainable tourism development and residents’ quality of life. This analytical approach facilitates the identification of underlying structural relationships between the observed variables and thus contributes to a deeper understanding of their interdependence in the context under study. This study contributes to the development of a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between sustainable tourism and quality of life in local communities' practices. The results provide empirical insight into residents' attitudes in active tourist destinations, which can serve as a basis for designing participatory development policies that balance tourism growth, sustainability, and residents' quality of life.