Local residents' attitudes toward potential tourism development: the case of Ansted, West Virginia

The purpose of this study was to understand residents' attitudes toward tourism development in the town of Ansted, WV, using self-administered surveys. The attitude assessment in this study was part of a tourism planning process conducted for the town. The results indicate that perceptions of tourism development among Ansted's residents are generally homogeneous and highly positive. They do not believe that issues normally resulting from increased tourism, such as crowding, increased prices, or pollution would be a problem for the community. Rather, they are inclined to support tourism development for its potential to spur local economic development and provide related benefits. This finding is consistent with the social exchange theory that the more dependent a community is on economic benefits, the more likely it is that the community will support tourism development. The findings of this research will be an important contribution to a plan for sustainable tourism development in Ansted.