HOW DOES TOURISM AFFECT THE RESIDENTS` LIFE? THE CASE FROM ZADAR (CROATIA)

Abstract

Purpose – The growth of tourism in recent years has led to overtourism, which is present in many Mediterranean destinations. Coastal destinations are usually dealing with the consequences of seasonality and mass tourism during the summer season. Consequently, they have problems with their carrying capacity and various negative impacts of tourism. The well-being and quality of life of the local community depends on these impacts. According to this, the aim of this paper was to determine the attitudes of residents on the impact of tourism on their life in Zadar. The town of Zadar is a developed Mediterranean destination and the typical travel motive among tourists is the sea and the sun. It records continuous growth in tourist arrivals. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to examine how does tourism affect the residents’ life. Methodology – The research was conducted in 2022 on a sample of 821 inhabitants of the town of Zadar. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics and attitudes related to their satisfaction with the tourism development and the impact of tourism on the residents’ life. Findings – The research results showed that the residents are relatively satisfied with tourism activities in the town of Zadar. Despite the positive, primarily economic impacts of tourism, it is evident that there are also negative ones, including crowds, traffic, price increases, etc. Accordingly, residents support certain measures aimed at relieving the pressure of tourism in the town. Contribution – The results of this research indicate the increasing problems of overtourism faced by coastal destinations. These results should serve as one of the indicators for measurement and monitoring of tourism development. It is necessary to include them in the destination management of the town Zadar.