Purpose This paper examines the effect of perceived benefits on resident support for sustainable tourism development. It further explores the moderating effects of resident involvement and attachment, drawing on social exchange, place attachment and involvement theories to explain community-based tourism strategies in developing-country contexts. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from 323 residents of three Egyptian ecovillages (i.e. Al-Qaramous, Fuwah and Tunis) and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Results showed that perceived economic benefits were the most influential factor in residents’ support for sustainable tourism development. In addition, resident involvement and attachment significantly strengthened this benefit–support relationship. Practical implications Findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and destination managers when evaluating the positive and negative effects of economic, social and environmental benefits on resident support. This paper indicates that community-based planning practices, targeted capacity-building interventions and the effective use of local knowledge empower residents, foster genuine engagement in ecotourism destinations and enhance long-term sustainability. Originality/value This paper contributes to the tourism literature by investigating the mutually constitutive effects of perceived benefits, resident involvement and attachment on ecovillage development. It is situated in a developing-country context (Egypt), where the sustainable tourism framework remains underfunded and underexplored.
Khreis et al. (2025) studied this question.