Spatial Layout Optimization of Rural Tourism Destinations in Mountainous Areas Based on Gap Analysis Method: A Case Study in Southwest China

Tashi Lobsang, Min Zhao, Yi Zeng, Jun Zhang, Zulin Liu and Peng Li ()
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Tashi Lobsang: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Min Zhao: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Yi Zeng: School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Jun Zhang: China Railway Development and Investment Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650501, China
Zulin Liu: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Peng Li: School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Rural tourism plays a crucial role in promoting industrial revitalization in mountainous regions. Drawing inspiration from the site selection mechanisms of nature reserves, this study constructs a gap analysis framework tailored to rural tourism destinations, aiming to provide technical support for their spatial layout and systematic planning. By integrating a potential evaluation system based on tourism resources, market demand, and synergistic factors, the study identifies rural tourism priority zones and proposes a development typology and spatial optimization strategy across five provinces in Southwest China. The findings reveal: (1) First- and second-priority zones are primarily located in the core and periphery of provincial capitals and prefecture-level cities, while third-priority zones are concentrated in resource-rich areas of Yunnan and Guizhou and market-oriented areas of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi. (2) The Chengdu Plain emerges as the core region for rural tourism development, with hotspots clustered around Chengdu, northern and western Guizhou, central Chongqing, eastern Guangxi, and northwestern Yunnan, whereas cold spots are mainly situated in the western Sichuan Plateau and the Leshan–Liangshan–Zhaotong–Panzhihua–Chuxiong–Pu’er belt. (3) The alignment between tourism resources and rural tourism destinations is highest in Yunnan and Guizhou, while Chongqing exhibits the strongest match between destinations and tourism market potential and synergistic development conditions. Overall, 79.35% of rural tourism destinations in the region are situated within identified priority zones, with Chongqing, Guizhou, and Sichuan exhibiting the highest proportions. Based on the spatial mismatch between potential and existing destinations, the study delineates four development types—maintenance and enhancement, supplementation and upgrading, expansion, and reserve development—and offers regionally tailored planning recommendations. The proposed framework provides a replicable approach for spatial planning of rural tourism destinations in complex mountainous settings.

Keywords: gap analysis; rural tourism; priority zones; spatial optimization; mountainous regions; Southwest China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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