Stakeholders' attitudes towards sustainable tourism development in coastal communities

Abstract

As North Carolina's coastal communities face challenges in maintaining the quality of the natural and cultural resources that drive their tourism economy the need for sustainable actions in tourism development is made apparent. Should tourism planners chart a new course in tourism development, one that includes sustainable actions, stakeholders who will affect or will be affected by the change must be consulted. Residents are critical stakeholders in the tourism development process, as they must regularly contend with the impacts of tourism. There are many second homeowners in the communities examined in this study who must also contend with change that tourism creates. Therefore property owners, both permanent residents and second homeowners, were examined to determine if there are groups of property owners who hold different attitudes toward sustainable actions in tourism development. A sociodemographic profile for each group was created to help planners identify the group's members. By understanding the varying attitudes towards sustainable actions in tourism development and being able to identify property owners who hold those attitudes, planners can ensure that all stakeholders are included in the tourism planning process.