Community Participation and Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in Ancient Villages: The Mediating Role of Perceptions of Conflicts in the Tourism Community

Abstract

As increasing numbers of tourists have begun to visit ancient villages, conflicts between tourism development and residents have become one of the main challenges to the sustainable development of the tourism community. This research explores the relationship between community participation and residents’ support for tourism development in an ancient village. This study surveyed 249 indigenous residents living in Whampoa Village, Guangzhou, China. The findings show that community participation in tourism development has a positive influence on residents’ support for tourism development, and this relationship is mediated by the perceptions of conflicts in the tourism community. This study contributes a new theoretical perspective and practical implications for the sustainable development of ancient villages.