Tourism Economic Network Structural Characteristics of National Parks in the Central Region of China

Kai Wang, Menghan Wang, Chang Gan, Qinchang Chen and Mihai Voda
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Kai Wang: College of Tourism, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Menghan Wang: College of Tourism, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Chang Gan: College of Tourism, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Qinchang Chen: College of Tourism, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Mihai Voda: Faculty of Geography, Dimitrie Cantemir University, 540545 Targu Mures, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: The social network analysis has been actively applied in various tourist destinations, with a few studies on the tourism economic network structure of national parks. Taking the national parks in the Central Region of China as research objects, this study applies the modified gravity model to measure the strength of tourism economic connection. The social network analysis method (SNA) is used to analyze the network structure of tourism economic connection among national parks from the perspectives of overall network density, network centrality, and cohesive subgroups. The results show that the intensity of the tourism relationships among national parks in Central China is unbalanced in spatial distribution. The structure of tourism economic network presents a multi-core model. Lushan Mountain, Shaoshan, Wudang Mountain, and other national parks play a necessary role in the transmission of regional tourism economic elements. There are cohesive subgroups of connections among national parks, which are closely related to administrative divisions and regional cultural background. The subgroups of interior scenes in the same province are more closely related, and the degree of tourism integration still needs to be improved. The study advances the understanding of tourism economic network relationships among tourist attractions in a destination.

Keywords: network structure; tourism economic; national parks; central region of China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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