Impact of tourism on residents’ well-being amid the CoVID-19 pandemic in Bali

Abstract

By being dependent on one of the most impacted industries, the travel industry, Balinese residents experienced a considerable downturn in their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aims to examine the extent to which sociocultural, economic and environmental aspects of positive and negative tourism impacts affect the well-being of Balinese residents. Recommendations are made for all tourism and hospitality stakeholders and policymakers. A quantitative research approach has been applied following a descriptive correlational research design. Data were gathered from 442 Balinese locals using an online questionnaire. It revealed that positive impacts of tourism have a significant positive correlation with residents’ well-being, whereas negative tourism impacts do not have a convincing effect. The positive sociocultural tourism effect was identified as a positive predictor of Balinese welfare. The research recommends promoting intercultural exchange between tourists and the local community and releasing stricter regulations to reduce the negative sociocultural, economic and environmental impacts of the visitors to Bali.