RESIDENT PERCEPTIONS OF TOURISM IN A RESORT TOWN

This article describes apart of the survey research conducted in Antal ya, Turkey whose aim was to gain a better understanding of resident at titudes and perceptions of tourism. Factor analysis applied to impact statements yielded nine reliable dimensions of tourism impacts as perc eived by local residents. The most important dimensions were effect of tourist crowds, impact on built environment, and impact on social val ues. The study findings suggest that residents of Antalya could differ entiate between benefits and costs while still remaining predominantly supportive of tourism. In addition, this study empirically verified t hat residents with the highest overall level of support for tourism ex pansion in Antalya tended to be people who were more educated, did not live in the proximity of the city's central tourist area, were more f requent users of tourism facilities, had tourism-dependent income, and were employed in jobs that had a direct relation to tourism.