自1978年以来,中国旅游地理学得到了较快发展,然而存在着理论和方法的研究薄弱、研究内容范围较为狭窄、重复工作较多且整体水平提高缓慢等问题。从以下角度反思中国旅游地理学25年的发展和问题,对这一学科将来的进步不无裨益。(1) 学术研究与应用实践之间的关系。20多年来,中国旅游地理学界始终以服务于国民经济为主攻方向,旅游地理学的应用价值被无限夸大,反过来制约了其他方面的研究拓展和深入。实际上,旅游地理学研究,绝不只是一个经济问题,它也需要关注社会公平、环境伦理。(2) 研究的观念与目标。中国旅游地理学有必要树立新的研究观念,认清自身的研究状态。没有反省、没有自我的怀疑、没有批判和创新的研究,其研究贡献是非常有限的。(3) 研究的方法与成果。实证研究在过去25年的中国旅游地理研究中是一种常见方法,然而,不能把利用数学和量化的方法来进行研究看作解决问题的唯一途径,况且低水平的实证研究有时会成为无价值的案例堆积,浪费研究资源和研究者的时间与精力。对研究成果应该有新的认识：该成果的真正价值是什么？国内外类似成果的差异 (而不仅仅是差距) 在哪里？如何确认和尊重该成果的知识产权？(4) 应对危机与挑战。将旅游地理学者的学术贡献与应用性工作例如规划混淆起来评价的做法是不恰当的,因为这类评价将使旅游地理学者的“社会价值”掩盖或超越其“学术价值”,并深刻地影响着他们在研究与应用上的精力分配,这就可能使学科本身面临严重危机。

Tourism geography has been developing rapidly since 1978. However, there still exist problems such as insufficient studies in theory and methodology, narrow range in research, too much repeated work, and slow progress in research in general. This paper reflects on several issues in tourism geography in the last 25 years of development. 1) The relationship between academic research and its application. In the last two decades, tourism geography has mainly been serving an economic purpose. This paper argues that the practical value of tourism geography has been very much exaggerated; this has in turn played a negative part in stopping academic research from in-depth and extensive development. The development of tourism geography should not only serve economic purpose but also social and cultural purposes. 2) Research notion and objectives. Tourism geography in China needs to set up new notion in order for researchers to understand their mission. Contribution to the field lies on retrospection, self-doubt, critical and creative thinking. 3) Research method and findings. Empirical research has been the frequent practice in the field in the last 25 years. However, mathematical and quantitative research is not the only solution. Low level empirical studies can sometimes lead to a waste of time and energy on the researcher's part. The evaluation of research findings should be based on their contribution, the difference they make in relation to similar findings at home and abroad, etc. Attention should also be paid to the verification of the findings and the respect for intellectual property. 4) Crises and challenge. It is not appropriate to confuse the academic contribution of tourism geographers with their work in planning practice, because this tends to let their "social contribution" overwhelm or overtake their academic contribution. In turn, this would have a negative impact on their time management in research and practice, which may lead to crises in the field.