Abstract
Tourism plays a crucial role in shaping the economic, social, and environmental landscapes of destinations. However, its impact on local communities often remains a subject of concern. Understanding local people's perceptions of tourism is essential for sustainable tourism development. Metaphors have important functions in learning people's perceptions. However, metaphors have not attracted sufficient attention from tourism researchers as data sources. This paper explores the metaphorical representations used by local residents to articulate their thoughts and emotions regarding tourism. By analyzing these metaphors, it is aimed to gain deeper insights into the complex and multifaceted relationship between tourism and host communities, thereby informing effective strategies for responsible and sustainable tourism management. Qualitative methodology was used to explore this phenomenon. The participants were local people in Dereli, Turkey. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and processed through content analysis. Next, the metaphors found in the answers were categorized into different groups.