A Case for Sustainable Destinations: The Perceived Impact of Tourism on Quality of Life in the Thompson Okanagan Region

Tourism can profoundly affect the quality of life (QOL) of residents living in tourism host communities. In recent decades, the concept of sustainable tourism destination management has become more widely known and applied. In this chapter, we examine resident perceptions of how tourism impacts QOL in the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia, a certified and celebrated sustainable tourism destination. Impacts to eight dimensions of QOL are examined, including the Recreation Amenities, Community Pride and Awareness, Economic Strength, Way of Life, Natural and Cultural Preservation, Community Well-Being, Crime and Substance Abuse, and Urban Issues domains. Similarities and differences across domains and between residents with differing levels of tourism affiliation, income, geographic distributions, and demographic characteristics are described and compared against observations of other sustainable or more traditional tourism destinations. Generally, residents perceive positive impacts of tourism on their QOL, yet some issues, such as Urban Issues, and potential inequities are highlighted. The implications of these resident perceptions on sustainable tourism destination management are discussed, and effective strategies for engaging with residents and measuring perceived impacts to their QOL are recommended. Monitoring residents’ perceptions of these impacts provide meaningful indicators of sustainable tourism development that can assist managers and stakeholders as they strive to achieve net positive impacts of sustainable tourism.