Asif Ahmad Siddiqui and Monowar Alam Khalid
Abstract
Ecotourism is increasingly recognized as a strategy for integrating biodiversity conservation with rural development. This study examines the socio-economic impacts of ecotourism and the extent of community participation in villages surrounding the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), Uttar Pradesh, India. Primary data were collected from 525 households across 35 villages using a structured questionnaire. The analysis employs descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, chi-square tests and Cramerâs V to evaluate patterns of benefit distribution and participation. Results show near-universal awareness (99.2%) and strong positive perception (85.5%) of ecotourism. A majority of respondents reported improvements in infrastructure (80.6%) and perceived employment generation (72.8%), along with strong conservation support (94.7%) reporting reduced illegal activities. Although direct household participation remains limited (6.7%), inferential analysis reveals that (97.1%) of participating households experience income improvement (?² = 148.52, p < 0.001, V = 0.532), indicating high economic effectiveness conditional on participation. The study concludes that ecotourism in PTR functions as a community-level development and conservation system with significant potential for inclusive growth. Expanding participation through targeted interventions can substantially enhance its socio-economic impact.