Quantifying the Contribution of Rural Residents’ Participation in the Cultural Tourism Industry to Improve the Soil Erosion Control Effect in Ecologically Fragile Areas: A Case Study in the Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region, China

Yilun He, Shaowen Zhan () and Noshaba Aziz
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Yilun He: School of management, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Shaowen Zhan: School of Public Administration, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Noshaba Aziz: School of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Previous studies have paid little attention to the causal effect and mechanism between rural residents’ participation in the cultural tourism industry and the effect of soil erosion control. To analyze this phenomenon empirically, this study employs the propensity scores matching (PSM) method and the mediating effect model to explore the impact and mechanism of rural residents’ participation in the cultural tourism industry on the effect of soil erosion control in ecologically fragile areas. Using data gathered from 572 rural households from the Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia border region, China, the results show that: (1) Compared with non-participation, residents’ participation in the cultural tourism industry positively influences the soil erosion control effect; if the residents participating in the cultural tourism industry did not participate, the soil erosion control effect would decrease to 2.715–2.844. (2) Considering the heterogeneity of residents’ endowments and attributes of soil erosion technology, the effect of water erosion control is also heterogeneous. (3) Mechanism analysis confirms that residents’ participation in the cultural tourism industry mainly affects soil erosion control through increased non-agricultural income, optimal allocation of labor, and improved environmental protection awareness. Finally, some valuable and promotable policy implications are put forward.

Keywords: soil erosion control; cultural tourism industry; ecologically fragile areas; propensity scores matching method; mediating effect model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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