Spatiotemporal Variation in Carbon Emissions in China’s Tourism Industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Ecological Compensation Mechanism

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the tourism industry while providing a unique opportunity for ecological restoration in tourist attractions. This study highlights the variations in carbon emissions and the corresponding ecological compensation in China’s tourism industry across 31 provinces before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019–2020. The findings reveal a substantial decline in carbon emissions stemming from China’s tourism industry in 2020, reducing by 207.0461 million tons, a remarkable 74.71% decrease compared to 2019. Shanxi exhibited the most significant reduction among the provinces, whereas Shanghai had the most minor decrease. Additionally, natural scenic areas in China experienced a 3.4% growth in carbon sinks, with an increase of 76.6271 million tons in 2020. Henan, Hubei, and Guangxi were the provinces with the highest increments. However, some provinces witnessed a decline in carbon sinks due to climate change, with Zhejiang Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Jilin Province displaying the most substantial reductions in 2020 compared to 2019. Furthermore, the estimated ecological compensation for the tourism industry in all 31 provinces of China amounts to approximately CNY 6.948 billion. This study provides valuable insights into carbon emission reduction in the tourism industry, ecological compensation mechanisms during unexpected public events, and the sustainable development of nature-based tourist destinations. To advance the goals of achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, future research should prioritize tracking and classifying tourism-related carbon emissions, precisely classifying carbon sinks in natural scenic areas, and establishing interprovincial ecological compensation mechanisms.