Ecotourism economics: the case of Egypt

This paper endeavours to analyse the benefits and costs of ecotourism and explain how ecotourism can improve the standard of living of local people in Egypt from the points of view of local people in Egyptian ecotourism destinations. A survey approach was implemented to collect data from 268 respondents using a completed questionnaire technique. The research outcomes show that local people can achieve socioeconomic value from ecotourism activities that are implemented in the ecotourism destinations in Egypt. The main factors that control the socioeconomic value and benefits yielding from ecotourism strategies and projects are the reduction of damage to natural and cultural resources, threat to the quality of local environment and the reduced level of pollution, environmental and social costs. To guarantee and sustain socioeconomic value in the long term, the ecotourism processes should be achieved through a broader strategy for developing local communities around ecotourism destinations in Egypt.