Development, conservation and tourism: conflict or symbiosis?

Can the global and local interests of conservation, development and tourism work together? In this article I examine four protected areas in Africa and India were these interests have been pursued with various degrees of success. A critical application of the concept of global commodity chains helps to clarify how eco-tourism works, and what are its main driving forces. Friction between local practices and global conservation norms has been frequent. In the study, governance structures, local ownership and institutions for solving disputes and for joint management have been present in the more successful cases.