Tourism is the world's largest industry and environmentally sustainable tourism or ''ecotourism'' has become a major area of interest for governments, the private sector and international lending institutions. It is regarded as a way of allowing economic development whilst protecting against environmental degradation, especially in those countries with fragile ecosystems. However, this may not be the reality. Rosaleen Duffy presents the first critical analysis of ''ecotourism''; does it deliver real environmental benefits or is it just a marketing opportunity – ''green greed''? By the extensive use of case study and interview material, she shows how ecotourism can work to support conservation and local economies given the right political context and regulation.

The ideas and proposals that are presented will be important for the development of ecotourism around the globe and will be vital reading for academics in development and environmental studies and for NGOs and the tourism industry.