The efficacy of growth machine theory in explaining resident perceptions of community tourism development

Consensus among members of the community is imperative for constructive tourism planning. Therefore, research into resident attitudes toward tourism development is a vital element of the planning process. A review of the literature revealed a lack of a strong theoretical basis for most studies of resident attitudes toward tourism development. It was also found that little research had been conducted on this subject which specifically identified retirees as a separate group within the community.; Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes toward tourism development of the residents of Hilton Head, South Carolina. The sample of 287 residents, representing a response rate of 86 percent, consisted of four groups: retirees, business leaders, government administrators, and general residents. The Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (TIAS) was used to measure attitudes. Twenty-one of the questionnaires were self-administered by the government administrators and 266 residents completed the questionnaire through telephone interviews.; Growth machine theory was used to guide the study and interpret the results. According to growth machine theory (Molotch 1976), there is a coalition of land holders and business people within any given community whose main goal is to promote growth in order to maximize economic return. The growth machine consists of those who stand to gain economically, both directly and indirectly, from growth and, therefore, have a common interest in promoting growth. Businessmen who are local landowners are joined in their effort to promote growth by lawyers, realtors, newspaper owners, and officers of financial institutions. Government administrators exhibit ambivalence because of the need to please all factions of the community. However, in areas where there is a substantial segment of the community that does not view growth as beneficial to their personal quality of life or that of the community, an anti-growth movement may lead to changes that can slow or stop growth of the community.; The findings of this study supported growth machine theory for use in examining resident attitudes toward tourism development. It was found that there were indeed significant differences in attitudes among the four groups as was hypothesized and that growth as a result of tourism development was the predominant factor in explaining attitudes.