International Journal of Arts and Humanities (IJAH)

Coastal tourism has grown significantly bringing enormous economic benefits to host communities, and causing many environmental, social, and cultural impacts. The high levels of crowdedness and the increase of negative impacts clearly indicate the need for non-traditional approaches to developments that support recreational activities and maintain sustainable tourism growth. The social evolutionary models discussed and a survey was conducted at 10 beach resort destinations (5 American, 5 Egyptian) to measure the difference in people’s perception on the importance of healthy social and cultural environments in maintaining sustainable growth of the environmentally sensitive coastal zones. A total of 276 responses were obtained for data analysis, while both Egyptian and American respondents recognized the importance of sensitive environmental developments, there were significant differences due to differences in culture, environment, regulations, and priorities. The American sample placed greater importance on the ecological issues, while the Egyptian sample placed greater importance on the social, cultural, and psychological impacts.