隨著明年週休二日制的實施，國人對觀光休閒的需求日益迫切。但是近年來快速發展的觀光產業，在經濟考量比重過高的情形下，卻造成觀光開發與環境保育的矛盾對立。如何將有限的觀光資源延續下去，讓後代子孫也能夠享有相同的珍貴資源，正是發展永續觀光所追求的目標。而從事觀光開發時，必須檢討對當地的自然環境、人文社會、產業經濟所造成的各種衝擊，永續觀光發展的理念即在於透過當地居民、觀光客、觀光發展組織等與觀光地區有關連的人群，以公平和諧平衡的共生態度協調彼此的需求，並對當地自然環境及人文資源合理的利用，以期達到生態保育、經濟效益發展、文化尊重的永續發展目標，本文並提出永續觀光發展的策略、執行工具、評估準則與建議。本文爲永續觀光專刊之導官，本卑刊另包括四篇討論永續觀光的相關課題，期透過國內外案例的介紹，思考觀光永續發展的規畫、設計與經營管理的方向，以開創觀光發展之新紀元。

Since the starting of two-days weekend next year, leisure and traveling behavior will become more important in Taiwan. Due to it too emphasized on economic benefits, the fast-growing tourism industry has caused conflicts between development and conservation. One of sustainable tourism's goal is to keep the limited resource of tourism for next generation so that they could have equity to enjoy the precious resource. When developing a new place for tourism, it is needed to think about the impact to local nature, society, and economy. The concept of sustainable tourism is to reasonably utilize the natural and social resource at the traveling site by the cooperation of local residents, tourists, and tourism related organizations The objectives of sustainable tourism are achieving economic benefits, ecosystem conservation, and cultural respect at the place. This paper also explained the strategies, practical instruments, and assessed criteria of sustainable tourism. This special issue included four articles which addressed in international and Taiwan local sustainable tourism illustration which will reveal many inspirations to you.