Recent research in the field of tourism has demonstrated that the endorsement of the indigenous population is essential for the development, successful operation and sustainability of tourism. Achieving the goal of favorable community support for the tourism industry will require an understanding of how residents formulate their perceptions of the impact of tourism and their attitudes toward tourism. The purpose of this study was to examine the interplay of elements that affect host community resident attitudes toward tourism. The principles of social exchange theory provided the framework for a tourism exchange system model which posits that tourism is a system of exchanges of resources between the tourist, the host community, and the tourist business and service sector. The research demonstrated that a propitious attitude toward tourism is a function of a favorable exchange position which is viewed as a desire to enter into or maintain a tourism exchange relationship. / Ph. D.