ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the phenomenon of ecotourism and looks at how it can develop in practice. It examines two case studies, both quite different, particularly in their respective creation and planning. Ecotourism is a term that has often been analysed and deconstructed, and it remains as an ideal and a driving force for many projects worldwide. With the concepts of sustainable development, community involvement and nature conservation included within its embrace, it is an admirable and potentially constructive idea. In practice, however, the reality of ecotourism is often different from the ideal. Drawing on anthropological research findings based on long-term fieldwork the chapter will describe the grass-roots reality of the projects in their rural settings. The comparison will allow the reader to see the relative importance of the cultural context of ecotourism, in particular the socioeconomic and political environment in which the projects develop.
