ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the perceived performance of ecotourism in tiger reserves has been compromised by entry into the market of a number of tourism enterprises cynically employing the eco-' prefix as a marketing label without ever having to justify their performance in relation to conservation or the pursuit of long-term sustainability. It also considers the actual and potential roles of ecotourism in protecting vulnerable tiger populations in India. Located within the northern state of Rajasthan, Ranthambhore is widely viewed as one of the jewels in the crown' of India's network of reserves comprising Project Tiger, a national commitment to wildlife conservation. While the main cause of this decline has been attributed to large-scale poaching to service the lucrative, yet illegal, trade in wildlife body parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in reality the problem has proved to be far more complex in nature and, as a corollary, the range of potential solutions are increasingly difficult to reconcile.
