RESIDENT TYPOLOGIES WITHIN THE INTEGRATIVE PARADIGM OF SUSTAINCENTRIC TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this study was to examine residents' attitudes toward sustainable tourism in Turkey and determine whether resident's attitudes vary according to host typologies using SUS-TAS. SUS-TAS, used here as a tool for identifying resident typologies, allowed the identification of three host community typologies. Data was collected from 1,857 randomly selected households in a large city in Izmir, Turkey. A comparative analysis was then performed between Strong Sustainers, Moderate Sustainers, and Weak Sustainers, resulting in significant differences between these resident groups regarding a select few behavioral and demographic variables. Practical and theoretical implications have been discussed within the framework of sustaincentric theory.