The Effects of Tourism on Certain Variables: Exploring the Perceptions of Entrepreneurs∗

The objective of this study is to determine how entrepreneurs perceive the economic, social and physical impacts of tourism. The study was conducted in the city of Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, which is rich in thermal tourism resources and investments. A survey was used as the data collection method, and the questionnaire was applied to 472 entrepreneurs. A simple random sampling method was used to identify the sample. Independent sampling t-tests, ANOVA tests and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data obtained. The study found that the entrepreneurs expressed both positive (such as increases in the public's consciousness, job creation and the preservation of tourism values) and negative (such as the disappearance of moral and religious values, the transfer of tourism revenue and the disappearance of tourism resources) opinions on the impacts of tourism. Additionally, some statistically significant differences (p<.05) were found based on the participants’ demographic characteristics regarding their opinions about the social, economic and physical impacts of tourism activities