Understanding the Relationship Between Islamic Religiosity and Sociocultural Impacts of Tourism

Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, this study examines how Islamic belief and practice relate differently to residents’ perceptions of tourism’s sociocultural impacts in Konya, Türkiye. Survey data from 820 residents were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, correlations, and independent-samples t-tests. Overall religiosity was unrelated to the aggregate impact score, but disaggregation revealed contrasting patterns: belief was associated with more favorable benefit evaluations, whereas practice corresponded to more cautious assessments. Higher religiosity also coincided with greater concern about norm-sensitive social issues. The findings show that aggregate religiosity measures can conceal distinct evaluative patterns and extend exchange-based explanations beyond material considerations.