Abstract: Research on the connotative meaning, major fields and activity types of ecotourism in China's protected areas are summarized and appraised based on bibliometric methods. Results show that: ① Publications from abroad focus on wildlife tourism, nature-based tourism, biodiversity conservation and environmental values, pay more attention to the study of tourists' behavior and attitude to protected areas, make much account of community participation and well-being of indigenous inhabitants; ② Ecotourism has become a generally accepted concept in China, yet its contents have been steadily broadened, its essence is misused and abused, and almost all the tourism activities can be called a kind of ecotourism. ③ At present, such macro-level institutional improvements in ecotourism as management system, law enforcement and development strategies have been greatly valued while studies have long been sidetracked in hands-on practices of detailed ecotourism planning in natural protected areas, biodiversity conservation, environmental interpretation and education, community participation methods and effects, design and promotion of ecological products and so forth. Proposals are suggested to carry out training and educational efforts to make a common and accurate understanding of ecotourism, enhance the ability of normative management and effective governance, and promote applied comprehensive scientific research.