Research on environmental impacts of tourism is one of the most important themes in the area of tourism environment and tourism impact.It can provide a guide for the protection and management of resources in tourist resort and play an important role in the development of ecotourism and sustainable tourism.In order to discuss current issues and future direction,this paper summarizes the research abroad on the environmental impacts of tourism from four aspects:research development,research themes,research methods and research results;and then gives a review of research at home in the developmental sequence.According to current state of environmental impacts and research,the future foci will be studying more impact types,expanding the scales of research, enhancing background research,and improving research methods.Research in China can be carried out by virtue of advanced methods and research findings from other countries.Meanwhile,the facts and figures in China should be considered.It is more significant for us to enlarge research areas,improve research methods,and strengthen case studies and research on management and application.