Perceptions of host communities on the impacts of festivals: the case of the Safranbolu Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival

Festivals can make significant contributions to host communities, in terms of revenue growth and the development of socio-cultural and recreational activities. On the other hand, too many visitors can negatively impact the environment. Local perceptions towards the impact of festivals are important in
terms of ensuring the sustainability of these activities. The main objective of this study is to examine local community perceptions towards the economic, environmental and socio-cultural impact of the Safranbolu Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival, which has been held every year since 2000 in Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This study was conducted face-to-face with 385 participants from September through November 2016, using a structured questionnaire. The findings demonstrate that the residents of Safranbolu are more perceptive to the positive economic, socio-cultural and environmental impact of the Safranbolu Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival, rather than its negative impacts. The findings show that there is a significant divergence between the income levels of the residents and
their perceptions towards the socio-cultural impact of the film festival. It was determined that respondents with monthly income levels under 1,500 Turkish lira (less than 350 Euros) consider the socio-cultural impacts of the festival more negatively compared to respondents with income levels between 1,501
Turkish lira and 2,000 Turkish lira (between 350-470 Euros).