溫泉法於2003年7月2日發布，其主要宗旨係保育及永續利用溫泉，提供輔助復健養生之場所，促進國民健康與發展觀光事業，增進公共福祉。面對全球觀光休閒產業市場競爭，台灣溫泉產業經營者所需面對的不僅只有溫泉標章取得的問題；溫泉水權、開發許可、土地建物的合法化都是溫泉業者無可迴避的經營管理課題。
本研究旨在探討關子嶺溫泉區經營管理業者在溫泉法頒佈後所面對的課題及可行的因應策略，透過與關子嶺溫泉業者深度訪談，瞭解傳統業者在溫泉法頒佈後，就地合法化所面臨的困境，藉此尋求專家學者、政府機關管理者因應策略與改善作法。在實證過程中，本研究以溫泉旅館經營者為研究對象，第一階段採用立意抽樣進行問卷發放與回收，共30家溫泉旅館；第二階段針對16位溫泉旅館經營者進行深度訪談。彙整訪談結果，本研究針對業者目前面臨困境，尋求專家學者與政府管理者共識，提出三項因應策略，分述如下：
策略一：公部門主導並成立關子嶺溫泉區溫泉供取事業經營公司。
策略二：主管單位積極輔導關子嶺溫泉旅館及民宿業者取得合化法權益。
策略三：檢討土地使用適宜性並研提整體開發政策，提升關子嶺溫泉區競爭力。 The hot spring act was promulgated on July 2, 2003. The main purpose of the act is to help conserve and sustain the use of hot springs, provide auxiliary therapeutic venues, enhance national health, develop tourism, and advance public welfare. Therefore, it is a critical issue for hot spring hotel managers to strive for the legalization of land utilization, including hot-spring use permission, development permission, and land-use & building in such a competitive global marketplace.
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between Guanzailing hot spring area and land utilization, based on the hot spring act, then to construct the land utilization framework for Guanzailing hot spring area. In the meantime, the study object is hot spring hotel industry. First of all, we apply purposive sampling method selected from hot spring hotel managers, with total 30 valid samples. Secondly, we choose sixteen from them for depth interview. Finally, we summarize the conclusion of this study, and the following three research propositions are being introduced: (1) The government plays a dominant role to establish the hot spring business in Guanzailing hot spring area. (2) The government provides assistance to acquire business operating license in Guanzailing hot spring area hotels. (3) The government should make legal governing land and building use in Guanzailing hot spring area and increase the competitive advantage.
