RELIGIOUS CONCERNS AND RESIDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARD TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Religion is the essence of people's consciousness and attitude. This article investigated the effect of Islamic religiosity on residents' perceived impacts of tourism and their supporting behaviour towards tourism development in Iran and Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to local residents of two touristic regions in both destinations and compared by the aid of t-test and Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modelling (PLS-SEM), To develop the study framework, this study has integrated Social Exchange and Social Distance theories. The results of this study showed the existence of differences between residents' perceived impacts according to their level of Islamic religiosity. Iranians showed a more negative perception of tourism development compared to Malaysians as they considered it as a possible threat to their religious values. Finally, the implications of the study for the tourism planners, developers, and policymakers are explored.