Residents’ attitude as determinant of tourism sustainability. The case of Trujillo

Abstract

This research aims to gain knowledge to understand residents’ attitudes towards tourism sustainability in a destination where the main attraction is an archaeological site by analysing the effects of residents’ support and perceived benefits for tourism sustainability (in economic, market and social terms). The relationships between perceived benefits and residents’ support and among local involvement, attachment and perceived benefits were also examined. The proposed model was assessed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) regression. The data analysis showed that perceived benefits have a more significant effect on tourism sustainability than on residents’ support. Interestingly, the influence of community involvement was found to be stronger than community attachment on perceived benefits surrounding a Peruvian archaeological site. This study can assist scholars and managers by shedding light on the understanding of tourism sustainability from a performance viewpoint that considers both financial and non-financial terms.