Zhenhua Liu critiques the current state of sustainable tourism research, highlighting several key weaknesses. The author argues that the debate on sustainable tourism is fragmented, often flawed, and lacks a clear understanding of tourism demand, resource dynamics, intra-generational equity, and the role of tourism in promoting sociocultural progress. The paper emphasizes the need for a systems perspective and interdisciplinary approach to advance sustainable tourism research. It also discusses the importance of measuring sustainability and the challenges in defining and implementing sustainable tourism practices. The author critiques the overemphasis on ecotourism and alternative tourism as solutions to sustainable tourism, arguing that these forms are often insufficient and fail to address the broader issues of tourism development. The paper also addresses the issue of cultural integrity, suggesting that while tourism can have negative impacts, it can also contribute to social and cultural progress. The author calls for a more balanced view of sustainability, recognizing the role of human progress and the need to manage tourism growth in a way that is appropriate for tourists, the destination environment, and the host population. The paper concludes that sustainable tourism research needs to focus on developing practical policies, adopting a systems perspective, and promoting an interdisciplinary approach to achieve a more scientific and effective framework for sustainable tourism development.Zhenhua Liu critiques the current state of sustainable tourism research, highlighting several key weaknesses. The author argues that the debate on sustainable tourism is fragmented, often flawed, and lacks a clear understanding of tourism demand, resource dynamics, intra-generational equity, and the role of tourism in promoting sociocultural progress. The paper emphasizes the need for a systems perspective and interdisciplinary approach to advance sustainable tourism research. It also discusses the importance of measuring sustainability and the challenges in defining and implementing sustainable tourism practices. The author critiques the overemphasis on ecotourism and alternative tourism as solutions to sustainable tourism, arguing that these forms are often insufficient and fail to address the broader issues of tourism development. The paper also addresses the issue of cultural integrity, suggesting that while tourism can have negative impacts, it can also contribute to social and cultural progress. The author calls for a more balanced view of sustainability, recognizing the role of human progress and the need to manage tourism growth in a way that is appropriate for tourists, the destination environment, and the host population. The paper concludes that sustainable tourism research needs to focus on developing practical policies, adopting a systems perspective, and promoting an interdisciplinary approach to achieve a more scientific and effective framework for sustainable tourism development.