The Mediating Effects of Community Support For Sustainable Tourism, Community Attachment, Involvement, and Environmental Attitudes

Abstract

Community attachment is a key factor for both the perceptions and the attitudes of residents including the tourism activities within it. Besides, residents’ participation in the tourism development process influences their support for the development of tourism activities. Finally, the environmental attitudes of residents are essential for the sustainability of natural resources. A total of 722 structured questionnaires to residents of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros gathered information about community attachment, environmental activity, support for tourism, perceptions, and involvement toward the natural resources of the Yaque del Norte River (the longest of the Dominican Republic). The results, using partial least squares, showed the relevant relations between the variables researched and offer a new framework on which to reflect, for the assessment of the relations between community attachment and support for sustainable tourism, together with the involvement and the attitudes of the community.