Resident Perceptions of Community Tourism in Cape Verde

Abstract

Community tourism appears to be an alternative that mitigates the negative effects of mass tourism in less developed countries. In this kind of tourism, the attitudes and perceptions of residents play an important role in tourism planning and development. In this article, we analyze the perceptions and attitudes of residents in community tourism in the Island of Santo Antão (Cape Verde), an emerging tourist destination that is currently experiencing a considerable increase of tourists—which is altering the way of life of its communities. The fieldwork was carried out based on a survey of residents. The questionnaire was filled out by a random sample of respondents, with a total of 319 questionnaires obtained. The main results reveal that residents are in favor of tourism development, due to the positive benefits that it can bring, such as the recovery of traditional handicrafts, more investment in infrastructures, and higher quality hospitality and retail establishments. However, in order for tourism on the island to be sustainable and for the residents' perceived benefits to materialize, tourism initiatives need more participation by local residents, public administrators, universities, and nongovernmental organizations.