Abstract
This study utilizes Butler's concept of the ＂Tourism Area Life Cycle＂ to analyze the mechanisms by which the actions of key agents impact the evolution of sustainable tourism development in Lanyu, an exceptionally small island off the coast of Taiwan. Analysis of the relevant literature is combined with field work and in-depth interviews to divide the past 50 years of tourism development in Lanyu into five distinct stages, beginning from the initial development of tourism in 1967 to the present day. Findings reveal that state policies and actions played a key role in the development of each stage, particularly during the first and second stages. In the third stage, development was primarily shaped by government policy as well as by the actions of NGOs and community residents to establish civic and social institutions and in opening the area to international tourism for the Taiwanese people. The fourth stage lasted almost a decade and featured significant improvements to the social empowerment and knowledge of local residents due to the efforts of the government and NGO actors. Those improvements led to the fifth stage, which was characterized by the rejuvenation of tourism in Lanyu. Finally, this study compares the evolution of tourism development in Lanyu with Butler's (1980) findings and emphasizes the critical nature of community empowerment for the development of sustainable tourism.