What drives residents' support for tourism development of the Camino de Santiago? The role of perceived impacts, local socioeconomic context, and overall attitudes

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.