Effects of Tourism on Residents' Quality of Life in Saudi Arabia: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a research project that examines the effects of tourism on residents' quality of life in Saudi Arabia and identifies a set of key derivatives that could be affected by tourism. This article discusses four key dimensions that specifically define the scope of tourism: economic, social, cultural, and environmental, and with the analyses of empirical data from Saudi Arabia these dimensions are tested for their relationship with the broader demographic variables of Saudi Arabia. The data was collected through questionnaire from a sample of 775 local residents who lived in the Makkah region—the destination of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world. A simple regression and t-test analyses were carried out to examine the study hypotheses. The regression analysis showed that tourism had a fairly direct impact on the quality of life of the residents. The t-test analysis demonstrated that several demographic factors were significantly related to the four dimensions of tourism. As such, this article provides a valuable examination of residents' perceptions and their quality of life with regards to the scope of tourism development in the Makkah region. This study potentially contributes to future research in the fairly conservative societal and cultural context of tourism in Saudi Arabia, and provides key parameters for an improved understanding of tourism impacts, planning and policy-making for the tourism industry, and “sustainable” tourism marketing.

Keywords:

• Saudi Arabia
• tourism impact
• quality of life
• community perceptions