Assessing tourism’s well-being effects on community residents

Researchers at the TTRA 2019 conference identified the importance of a holistic perspective on key performance indicators and a research agenda based on “the host comes first.” That orientation is consistent with the increasing literature on subjective well-being (SWB) among residents in destination communities. In assessing the effect of tourism development on resident well-being, previous studies often have utilized diverse SWB measures along with indirect analyses that may constrain conclusions regarding causal relationships. The present study utilized a direct contingent SWB approach, which is exploratory but provides greater confidence in causal relationships. Results from a general population survey in Oregon (U.S.A.) suggested the method functioned as intended. Consistent with livability theory, the perceived impacts of tourism correlated with change in SWB contingent on a vignette reflecting a 20% increase in tourists. County-level population growth and visitor intensity predicted perceived impacts. Recommendations for destination management and methodological evaluation will be presented