Explaining minority residents’ attitudes of ethnic enclave tourism from general perceptions of tourism impacts

ABSTRACT

This study examined how Brazilian and Korean residents in two Japanese towns differed in their views of tourism in general and ethnic neighborhood tourism (ENT) focused on their own culture and if their perceptions of tourism in general translate into their corresponding attitudes about ENT. A series of MANOVAs revealed that Brazilian residents held more positive views toward tourism in general and ENT than their Korean counterparts. Although the two groups differed in their perception of community benefits from tourism in general, they demonstrated a similar mix of hopes and worries regarding ENT. Results from multiple regression analyses also revealed that minority residents’ perceptions of tourism in general can be a significant predictor of their attitudes toward ENT explaining 4–40% of variance in the Brazilian sample and 4–12% in the Korean sample. These findings imply that perceptions of general tourism are precursors to perceptions of specific, niche forms of tourism. In a practical sense, this study underscores the importance of inviting residents’ opinion into the tourism planning process, especially in ENT contexts. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed at the close of the paper.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethnic neighborhood tourism
• Japan
• niche tourism
• TIAS
• tourism impact

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Kyle M. Woosnam, Ph.D. (Associate Professor) conducts research focused on community tourism where his primary interests surround socio-cultural impacts as well as relationships that exist between residents and tourists within destinations. He has engaged in such research across 25 countries within the last 15 years.

Naho U. Maruyama, Ph.D. (Associate Professor) participates in research centered on tourism and ethnic minorities, residents' perceptions to ethnic tourism, and World Heritage Sites as they relate to tourism. Her current research focuses on residents' attitudes towards tourism in Korean and Brazilian neighborhoods throughout Japan.

Manuel Alector Ribeiro, Ph.D. (Lecturer) engages in research broadly surrounding residents' support for tourism and events development, emotional aspects of consumption and consumer behavior. He also serves as methodology editor of The Service Industries Journal.

Dongoh Joo, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor) undertakes research in investigating resident-visitor interactions and community-based tourism from economic and sociological viewpoints; more specifically, how social emotions among tourists influence their economic behavior in tourism contexts.