The economic impact of tourism: Jamaican residents' perceptions (original) (raw)

1998, Visions of Leisure and Business

Despite the acknowledged importance of tour­ ism to global economies, and the attention given to empirical research in developed coun­ tries, very little attention has been given to research in less developed countries, particu­ larly those in the Caribbean. In this study, resi­ dents in the tourism resort communities of Negri!, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, Ja­ maica, West Indies rated their perceptions of the economic impact of tourism on their community. The mean scores indicated that residents perceived an overall slightly positive economic impact of tourism However, ANOV A results showed statistically significant difference in the degree of positive perceptions based on the socio-demographic variables of community, employment, placed of employ­ ment, and length of residence. The implica­ tions of these findings for the host residents and the tourist industry is discussed.