Introduction

Tourism is an open and complex system comprising interrelated components such as tourist-generating regions, destinations, and transit routes (Leiper, 1979; Jere Jakulin, 2017). While extensive research has focused on tourists’ behavior and experiences, the role of local communities as active participants at destinations has received relatively less attention, despite their critical influence on tourism development and sustainability (Almeida-García et al., 2016). Local residents are not merely passive recipients of tourism impacts; rather, they actively interpret, negotiate, and respond to tourism processes in ways that shape outcomes at the destination level.

Empirical studies indicate that residents’ lived experiences and attitudes significantly shape the sustainability of tourism (Obradović et al., 2022; Rastegar, 2019). Factors such as perceived economic benefits, environmental sustainability, community participation, and tourist satisfaction positively influence residents’ support, whereas social costs—such as congestion, cultural disruption, and inequality—tend to have negative effects (Doğan & Tekeli, 2024). In this context, Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics provides a valuable framework by emphasizing interpretation, dialogue, and the importance of historical and cultural contexts in understanding lived experiences (Caton, 2013; McBride, 2023). This perspective enables a deeper exploration of how meaning is constructed through interaction and experience rather than being objectively fixed.

This study examines the lived experiences of the local community in Kandovan village regarding sustainable tourism. Daily interactions with tourists, engagement with traditions, and responses to socio-economic changes create multilayered experiences that present both opportunities and challenges for tourism development. The study seeks to understand how these experiences are formed and what implications they hold for sustainable tourism planning and policymaking, particularly in rural and culturally distinctive destinations.



Methodology

This applied qualitative study adopts a hermeneutic phenomenological approach grounded in Gadamer’s philosophy, where understanding is viewed as a historical, linguistic, and dialogical process shaped through interaction between researcher and participants (Alsaigh & Coyne, 2021). In this approach, the researcher’s pre-understandings are not eliminated but acknowledged as part of the interpretive process, contributing to the co-construction of meaning.

Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven local residents selected via purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Participants were chosen based on their direct involvement in tourism-related activities or long-term residence in the village. Interviews were conducted in the local language, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy. Ethical principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity, were strictly observed throughout the research process.

Data analysis followed the framework proposed by Alsaigh and Coyne (2021), incorporating iterative movement between parts and whole (the hermeneutic circle). The process involved immersion in the data, initial coding, category development, theme construction, and final interpretive integration. This iterative engagement allowed meanings to emerge progressively through continuous comparison and reflection. To ensure trustworthiness, Guba and Lincoln’s (1985) criteria—credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability—were applied. Reflexivity was maintained throughout to enhance interpretive rigor and transparency.



Results and Discussion

The findings reveal that the lived experiences of Kandovan residents regarding tourism are complex, dynamic, and often contradictory. The most prominent theme was a “sense of powerlessness and institutional constraints.” Residents reported institutional distrust, limited participation in decision-making processes, weak governance structures, construction restrictions, and inadequate basic services. These issues have contributed to increased migration, particularly among younger residents, and reduced willingness to remain in the village. This situation highlights a clear mismatch between sustainable tourism objectives and the actual needs and priorities of the local community.

Another key dimension identified was the “experience of conflict and tourism pressure.” While tourism has generated economic benefits, including increased income opportunities and local investment, it has also intensified environmental pressures, overcrowding, and social tensions between residents and visitors. The growing number of tourists has placed strain on infrastructure and natural resources, leading to concerns about long-term sustainability. Closely related to this was the theme of “livelihood transformation and unequal distribution of benefits.” The transition from traditional economic activities, such as agriculture, to tourism-dependent livelihoods has not benefited all residents equally. Instead, it has created disparities in income and access to opportunities, contributing to weakened social cohesion and emerging inequalities within the community.

At the same time, the study identified “efforts to preserve identity and authenticity” and “local adaptation and creativity” as important cultural and agentic dimensions. Tourism has contributed to identity reconstruction, cultural revitalization, and skill development for some residents, enabling them to engage more actively in the local economy. However, these positive developments are accompanied by challenges, including cultural commodification and lifestyle changes, particularly among younger generations who may adopt more tourism-oriented values and practices. Although local residents demonstrate adaptability and creativity in responding to tourism dynamics, these strategies often remain fragmented and short-term due to insufficient institutional support and lack of coordinated planning.



Overall, the findings highlight that tourism in Kandovan is characterized by both opportunities and tensions. Sustainable tourism development requires addressing structural constraints, strengthening local participation in decision-making, ensuring equitable distribution of benefits, and preserving cultural identity through effective and inclusive governance mechanisms.



Conclusion

The lived experience of Kandovan’s local community toward tourism is fundamentally ambivalent. On the positive side, tourism has contributed to improved livelihoods, employment generation, increased local investment, enhanced welfare, and greater recognition of local identity. It has also created new opportunities for cultural expression and economic diversification. On the negative side, significant challenges persist, including feelings of powerlessness, institutional distrust, infrastructural deficiencies, migration, lifestyle changes, cultural commodification, weakened social cohesion, and unequal benefit distribution.

Environmental pressures and weak management have further intensified conflicts between tourists and residents, posing risks to both social and environmental sustainability. Achieving sustainable tourism in Kandovan therefore requires redefining the relationship between cultural preservation, meeting residents’ basic needs, and establishing participatory and equitable governance mechanisms that actively involve local stakeholders.

The study is limited by its qualitative nature, small sample size, potential gender imbalance among participants, and reliance on subjective perceptions. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings and point to the need for further research using mixed methods and larger samples to validate and expand upon these insights.