The residents ’ reactions to sustainable tourism development in the Red Sea coast of Egypt

Abstract: The issues of tourism development and sustainability are now at the forefront of much tourism research to find new solutions to tourism resources management and destination problems. However, despite the value of such attention in the possible improvement of destination management and the development of more sustainable forms of tourism, the concepts have remained relatively poor when they are critically analysed from a public policy perspective. This paper aims to explain the attitudes of the local Red Sea citizens towards the socioeconomic indicators of tourism development. To achieve the research objectives, data have been collected through 133 questionnaires that were distributed among the local Red Sea citizens. The results revealed that tourism development has positive impacts on the Red Sea region from the viewpoints of the local people. The tourism development policies in the Red Sea should concentrate on tourism projects that fulfil the requirements of sustainable tourism development to guarantee a positive reaction toward tourism development. To maximise the benefits of tourism development in the Red Sea, it is essential to create local cultural consciousness for the importance of concentrating on sustainability requirements/criteria in the future