In recent years, several Latin American nations have seen great increases in tourism to destinations which feature indigenous culture and local ecology. According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism is the world's fastest growing economic sector when considering foreign exchange earnings and the creation of jobs. These increases have called into question the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the industry, and tourism geographers have done extensive studies in monitoring such impacts. More recently, political ecology has introduced new thinking to the ways in which tourism is studied by broadening the scale under which it is conceptualized. Using this approach, tourism is viewed as an instrument of development in the broader political economy. Through a case study approach, this study investigates the potential of tourism as an equitable development strategy. Also, it analyzes the dynamics of the relationship between tourism development and local human-environment issues, with a specific focus on Ecuador's oil industry.