IMPACT OF TOURISM ON RESIDENTS IN A TRADITIONAL DISTRICT IN TAINAN CITY, TAIWAN

Abstract

Abstract The impact of tourism on various communities has been examined by theorists and researchers from a broad range of disciplines since the early 1970s, leading to a literature that is both expansive and diverse. However, a review of this literature reveals a limited amount of research related to tourist impacts on the urban centres of Asian cities, especially areas which are richly endowed with heritages, such as Anping district in Tainan, Taiwan. This study attempts to investigate perceptions and attitudes of residents in three traditional shopping streets and neighboring heritage sites of the Anping Traditional District of Tainan City, based on data collected via a questionnaire administered to a sample of 206 residents. It confirmed the validity of a previous four-fold classification of urban tourism impact scheme pertaining to economic, social, cultural and physical aspects. The findings of the study reveal that positive impacts of tourism as perceived by Anping residents are of greater significance than negative ones. More positive impacts are felt with regard to cultural and economic aspects, while more negative attitudes are expressed towards social and physical issues. Finally, the results of the study reveal a number of interesting possibilities regarding the identification and application of perceptions of urban impact.