日月潭風景區除了有迷人的山光水色，邵族的原住民文化原本也是一般遊客的主要觀光內容。回顧以往日月潭的觀光發展，與邵族的族群發展一直有著緊密的歷史關聯。然而，這一路走來，觀光發展與邵族文化之問，究竟如何消長互動，則並未被學界作完整之探討。因此，本研究以反問式的研究提問：「少了邵族文化，日月潭觀光將如何發展？」，目的在於釐清邵族文化在日月潭風景區發展中所佔居的價值與地位，以更進一步檢視目前實際之政策作為與發展狀態。藉由質性之文獻分析與深度訪談法，本研究發現，邵族文化雖是觀光主管單位所定位之日月潭觀光發展主軸，然而，它的文化傳統與重要性卻正日益在模糊與衰退中，政府相關管理政策並未能有效維繫與振興。而這將是曾經幾度風光與蕭條的日月潭風景區未來觀光發展之一大隱憂，必須從文化觀光與文化復育的積極觀點和做法，重新涵春邵族的文化生態，以厚實日月潭觀光永續發展之文化資產。
Beside fascinating landscape, aboriginal culture of Thao had been the important content in tourism of Sun Moon Lake. In history, the tourism development of Sun Moon Lake has had a close relationship with the development of Thao, but it has never been studied completely to know the situation and change between this relitionship. In order to sort out the account of Thao culture in the tourism development of Sun Moon Lake and deeply overlook actual policy proceedings, the study sets the question: "if there is no Thao culture, how about the tourism development of Sun Moon Lake?". By analyses of literatures and In-depth interview, the study found that the tradition and significance of Thao culture has gradually blurred and declined, although competent authorities has regarded it as one important character in tourism of Sun Moon Lake and spent several projects on it. It’ll be a threat for the development of Sun Moon Lake. From the standpoints of culture tourism and culture reconversion, the authority needs to restore the cultural ecology of Thao in order to rich cultural assets for the sustainable development of Sun Moon Lake.
