CULTURAL TOURISM IN A GREEK INSULAR COMMUNITY: THE RESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Cultural tourism constitutes an alternative strategy of sustainable local development for improving quality of life. The main objective of this type of tourism is to transform the regions, which are characterized by cultural resources, into ideal places for vacation, residence or business. In this study the residents’ perceptions of cultural tourism were examined in a case study of a Greek island, Andros. It was found that the majority of the respondents were aware of the importance of cultural tourism and they argued that it could contribute to the island’s local development. The findings also suggested that there is a strong relationship between the respondents’ characteristics and their perceptions of the impacts of cultural tourism on the island’s development.alternative tourism, cultural tourism, cultural heritage, sustainable local development, Greece