The perception of the impact of tourism as related by the residents of Margarita Island

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of the impact of tourism as seen by the residents of Margarita Island. One hundred surveys were sent out to local residents with 53 people returning questionaries and taking part in the study. Of these respondents seven were chosen to participate in the interview portion of the study. The survey was used to provide the researcher with the background of the participant, their perceptions of tourism, their reactions and attitudes pertaining to visitors as well as a demographic profile. The survey also allowed the researcher to determine which participants met the qualifications that determined if they would go on to the interview phase of the study. The interview consisted of eight open-ended questions designed to elicit responses from the participant in regards to tourism's effect on their life. The interview questions were used to explore the guiding question as well as the several sub-problems related to tourism development and visitor impacts on the local population. The study found that the three major impact area of economic, physical and social and cultural impacts were all being effected by tourism development. The interviews allowed for several key themes to immerge: 1) Tourism helped to improve the local economy. 2) Tourism provided a forum for positive cultural interaction. 3) The need for educational programs to improve cultural understanding and promote service quality. 4) Other minor points touched upon by one or two participants were included.