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The Impact of High-Standard Scenic Areas Construction on County-Level Carbon Emissions and Its Spatial Spillover Effects: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment

Author

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  • Ke Xu

    (College of International Tourism and Public Administration, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China)

  • Rui Zhang

    (School of Management, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, China)

  • Yun Tong

    (College of International Tourism and Public Administration, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China)

Abstract

This study investigated for the first time the tourism–carbon emissions nexus based on the destination construction perspective, using the China’s national scenic areas (CNSA) construction as a vehicle for concretization. A multi-source county panel dataset of 29,628 samples was constructed. The staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model and spatial DID model were further formulated. The findings show that: (1) the CNSA resulted in a 0.1024% reduction in carbon emission intensity (CEI) in treatment counties relative to non-treatment counties, and although the effect exhibits a delay, it persists and intensifies over time; (2) our heterogeneity results indicate that the inhibiting effect is significantly more pronounced in the western, eastern, and county subsamples; and (3) the spatial DID analysis reveals that the CNSA exerts a negative spatial spillover effect on CEI. This work enhances comprehension of the tourism–carbon emissions nexus, with implications for advancing regional carbon emission reduction policy strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ke Xu & Rui Zhang & Yun Tong, 2024. "The Impact of High-Standard Scenic Areas Construction on County-Level Carbon Emissions and Its Spatial Spillover Effects: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:11:p:1895-:d:1519443
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