Tourism-driven resident benefits beyond the surface

This article was written for Uncover magazine - Meaningful Leisure Experiences. 

Authors: Elisa van den Heuvel is a lecturer and project manager at the Academy for Tourism, Breda University of Applied Sciences. Jeroen Klijs is professor of Societal Impacts of Tourism at the Academy for Tourism, Breda University of Applied Sciences.

Increasingly, residents are being recognised as essential stakeholders in destination development, influencing visitor experiences, destination appeal, and long-term competitiveness. In line with Perspective 2030 (NBTC, Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions) and CELTH’s Agenda Conscious Destinations, the Netherlands aims to ensure that every resident experiences benefits of tourism by 2030. Improving resident benefit - rather than merely securing support - should be a primary objective of destination development. This evolving perspective has created a broad need among provinces, municipalities, and DMOs for methods to measure the perceived value that residents derive from tourism. CELTH initiated the project of ‘Measuring Resident Benefit: Exploration of Indicators and Methods’  to support decision-makers with a guidebook on selected methods to measure resident benefits, bringing together academic institutions and destination management organisations (Breda University of Applied Sciences, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Hotelschool the Hague, NBTC, and Eilandmarketing Schouwen-Duiveland).

‘Resident benefits’ as a multi-dimensional approach
While research frequently explores topics such as tourism impacts, quality of life, subjective well-being, attitudes, and support, the concept of resident benefit, as distinct from resident support (which reflects public approval of tourism), and residents' involvement (which measures active participation in tourism-related initiatives), remains underexplored. 

Resident benefit refers to the positive impacts that tourism generates for local populations across three key dimensions - economic, socio-cultural, and the living environment. The framework of resident benefits is multi-dimensional  and incorporates these overarching impact dimensions by integrating the experiential dimensions by which residents perceive these benefits (individual versus collective, conscious versus unconscious, factual versus perceived). 

The hidden contributions of tourism - a hypothetical, yet applicable example
A valuable approach to understanding this concept is through a hypothetical example of a resident of Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland, the Netherlands - Johan. Johan owns a small café in a coastal village and experiences both economic and social benefits from tourism. On a personal level, the influx of visitors enhances his business revenue while also providing him with the opportunity to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds. On a broader scale, he and his fellow residents collectively benefit from the financial contributions of tourism, which support local initiatives such as beach clean-ups and the maintenance of walking trails.

These benefits manifest themselves in different ways. Some are objective and quantifiable - such as the direct economic gains from increased tourism. Others are more subjective - Johan perceives a heightened sense of community due to the growing number of cultural events. Additionally, certain impacts remain unnoticed: for instance, the local supermarket where Johan shops weekly depends on tourism - it generates income to sustain operations all year round, yet he does not consciously associate this with tourism.

This example highlights the intricate nature and complexity of measuring resident benefits of tourism. It visualises the distinctions between factual and perceived, individual and collective benefits, and benefits that are consciously acknowledged versus those that operate unnoticed in daily life.

Challenges in measuring resident benefits
Given the complex interplay between experiential and impact dimensions, accurately measuring and uncovering resident benefits poses a challenge. Frequently, the impact of tourism is evaluated through measurable, factual, and hard metrics such as job creation, local investments, and infrastructure improvements. Many destinations still rely on traditional research methods, such as surveys and interviews, which, while valuable, often fail to capture the full spectrum of resident benefits. How residents perceive these benefits is just as crucial as the numbers themselves. 

Assessing resident benefits requires an integrated, multi-dimensional, context-specific and mixed-method approach, recognising that individuals experience and evaluate  tourism benefits differently from each other and, ultimately, from factual data.  A more nuanced approach is needed - one that not only measures perceptions but also considers the perceived importance and actual value of specific indicators. 

When linkages between tourism contributions and beneficial developments go unrecognised, tourism’s role for the destination can be undervalued. What methods can destinations employ efficiently and effectively, beyond the conventional approaches, that recognise the diverse ways in which individuals experience and evaluate tourism benefits?​

Moving beyond measurement as usual
Using literature, expert interviews and experiments, the project evaluated and compared multiple research methods to assess their effectiveness in measuring resident benefits and their applicability for destinations. As a practical tool for destination management, the publication Wegwijzer voor het meten van bewonersprofijt (Guide for measuring resident benefits) expands upon traditional methods by evaluating and introducing more creative research approaches. Each method is assessed for its relevance to the dimensions of resident benefits, considering factors including but not limited to representativity, trustworthiness, validity, complexity, speed, cost, privacy concerns, and potential for real-time monitoring and benchmarking.

Two particularly promising methods are: 

Art-based research methods, like encouraging participants to express themselves with a drawing, offer a powerful way to explore emotions, experiences, and abstract ideas such as pride and connection. Drawing helps participants to go beyond words and become more conscious of their experiences, making it a holistic and transformative research tool. It may tap into the unconscious and emotional layers of experience. However, interpreting artistic expressions can be challenging, and the method’s inherent subjectivity makes it difficult to control. While drawing can be an inclusive and impactful tool, it may not be suitable for every participant or research setting.

Participatory mapping combines cartography with qualitative research such as interviews and focus groups, allowing residents to actively create, edit, and use maps to document their spatial knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Going beyond traditional mapping this approach may reveal the interaction between tourism and living environments, offering a deeper understanding of how spaces are felt, experienced and navigated. It provides a dynamic, visual representation of local experiences, fostering dialogue and engagement while bridging personal narratives with broader spatial patterns.

Conclusion
The effects of tourism are highly localised, varying across different regions and timeframes. This underscores the necessity of destination-specific evaluation methods when assessing resident benefits. A one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. While a standardised framework with clear indicators is essential, it must also remain flexible, recognising that each destination has unique characteristics and priorities. Factors such as the length of time tourism has been present, the scale of the destination, and the feasibility of conducting large studies must all be considered. 

To obtain a well-rounded understanding of tourism-driven resident benefits, comparing different types of data is essential. Aggregating qualitative and quantitative findings provides a more comprehensive picture of resident benefits, cross-validating findings and uncovering patterns that might be overlooked when using a single research method.

The ‘Wegwijzer voor het meten van bewonersprofijt’ provides a structured overview of different research methods, outlining their advantages and limitations while offering practical case studies. This enables policymakers to choose the most suitable approach based on their specific objectives, context, budget, and capabilities.