The Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of the Coastal Tourism Economy in China

Shengrui Zhang, Hanyun Xue, Tongyan Zhang () and Hongrun Ju ()
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Shengrui Zhang: Management College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Hanyun Xue: Management College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Tongyan Zhang: Management College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Hongrun Ju: School of Environment and Geographical Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Tourism has emerged as a pivotal element of China’s economic development, particularly within its coastal cities. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of China’s coastal city tourism economic development, focusing on 53 coastal cities. Through a meticulous combination of literature analysis and data crawling, a robust database is constructed, encompassing tourism resources and revenues. This study delineates the spatial–temporal evolution pattern of China’s coastal city tourism development and employs geo-detector methods to quantitatively analyze the impact factors driving this evolution. Key findings reveal distinct trends in the coastal tourism economy of China from 2009 to 2019, characterized by spatial stability, similar trends in adjacent spatial units, and localized spatial structures. Notably, factors such as actual foreign investment, the presence of star-rated guesthouses, tourism industry employment, airport activity, and import–export trade volume exert significant influence on the domestic tourism economy. Similarly, tourism employment, airport activity, availability of star-rated hotels, import–export trade, and utilization of foreign capital emerge as influential factors shaping inbound tourism. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for government intervention to optimize tourism development strategies for coastal cities. This entails balancing resource exploitation with environmental protection and enhancing the quality of tourism services, fostering sustainable growth and long-term prosperity.

Keywords: coastal tourism economy; spatial–temporal evolution; driving factors; sustainable development; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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