What drives residents’ support for tourism development of the Camino de Santiago? The role of perceived impacts, local socioeconomic context, and overall attitudes
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21698989 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Francisco Carballo Cruz (0000-0002-3708-563X, University of Minho and Centre for Research in Economics and Management (NIPE)), Luís Filipe Silva (0000-0002-0571-5457, University of Minho and Centre for Research in Economics and Management (NIPE), corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 14 |
| Pages | 2915-2935 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Issues in Tourism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1368-3500 • E-ISSN: 1747-7603 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13683500.2025.2459809 |
| OpenAlex | W4407204398 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 77 |
The Camino de Santiago constitutes an iconic network of pilgrimage routes attracting people worldwide. Despite its growing popularity, the factors that influence residents’ support for tourism development of the Camino remain largely unknown. This study investigates the factors influencing residents’ support for further tourism development of the Camino. A sample of 442 residents from six locations that integrate the northern segment of the Portuguese Camino was collected. The proposed PLS-SEM model considers residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts but also the local socioeconomic context and overall attitude as predictor variables. The results confirm that economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts significantly shape residents’ overall attitude, but only the first two directly influence their support. The mediation analysis highlighted the critical role of overall attitude in linking perceived impacts and support. Interestingly, specific negative environmental impacts did not exhibit a direct relationship with overall attitude and support, suggesting that residents may tolerate inconveniences when the benefits outweigh the costs. Moreover, the results reveal that an unfavourable local socioeconomic context paradoxically enhances residents’ support for tourism development. This study provides insights for sustainable tourism planning and development of the Camino, emphasising the need for holistic strategies that consider residents’ perceptions and unique local contexts
Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Local economic development · Population · Socioeconomic development · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Tourism · Demography · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Psychology · Religious Tourism and Spaces · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
Developing and Testing a Tourism Impact Scale
Factors Influencing Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development
Community attachment, tourism impacts, quality of life and residents’ support for sustainable tourism development
Residents’ attitudes to tourism
Residents’ impact perceptions of and attitudes towards tourism development
Assessing the Mediating Role of Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development
Common method biases in behavioral research
A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling
When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM
Life changes after the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, including a deeper sense of spirituality
Crisis-driven shifts in resident pro-tourism behaviour
Investigating the bidirectionality of the relationship between residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and subjective wellbeing on support for tourism development
Resident support of community-based tourism development
Factors Predicting Rural Residents’ Support of Tourism
Perceived social impacts of tourism and quality-of-life
The Relationship between Residents’ Attitudes toward Tourism and Tourism Development Options
Understanding Residents' Attitudes toward the Development of Industrial Tourism in a Former Mining Community
Pilgrimage or tourism Travel motivation on Way of Saint James
Host perceptions of tourism
The Camino de Santiago and its contemporary renewal
Local support for tourism development and its determinants
Residents’ perceptions of tourism development in the context of a new governance framework for Portuguese protected areas
Residents' attitude and level of destination development
Residents' perceptions of tourism development in Benalmádena (Spain)
London residents' support for the 2012 Olympic Games
Validating a tourism development theory with structural equation modeling
How does tourism in a community impact the quality of life of community residents
Residents’ attitudes and the adoption of pro-tourism behaviours
Residents' support for tourism development
A structural equation model of residents’ attitudes for tourism development
Measuring residents’ attitude toward sustainable tourism development
Host attitudes toward tourism
Power, trust, social exchange and community support
Resident attitudes
Residents’ perceptions of community tourism impacts
Residents’ support for tourism
Explaining residents’ attitudes to tourism
Residents' attitudes toward tourism development
Developing a community support model for tourism
Resident perceptions and responses to tourism
Community factors affecting residents’ support for tourism
Motivations and meanings for Camino pilgrims
Tourists and pilgrims on their way to Santiago. Motives, Caminos and final destinations
Anti-tourism activism and the inconvenient truths about mass tourism, touristification and overtourism
The Camino is Alive
| Citations per year | 0.05 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2007 - 2007 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |