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Sustainable Spatial Distribution and Determinants of Key Rural Tourism Villages in China: Promoting Balanced Regional Development

Author

Listed:
  • Yanning Gao

    (School of Government, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
    School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia)

  • Haozhe Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China)

  • Xiaowen Shi

    (School of Government, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
    School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia)

Abstract

Understanding the spatial distribution and sustainable development of rural tourism is essential for promoting balanced regional growth and formulating optimized policy strategies. This study aims to provide insights into sustainable development and policy optimization. Utilizing geographic information system technology, dominance analysis, and Geodetector statistical methods, this research offers a comprehensive examination of the spatial patterns and determinants of these distributions. The findings reveal significant regional disparities and clustering, with a higher concentration of key villages in economically developed eastern and central regions and fewer in the less developed western regions. The dominance analysis highlights that provinces such as Zhejiang, Shandong, and Beijing demonstrate strong advantages across multiple dimensions, including ecological environment, economic development, tourism infrastructure, transportation accessibility, policy support, and social development. Conversely, regions such as Ningxia, Qinghai, and Tibet exhibit lower dominance scores, indicating challenges in rural tourism development due to limited resources and infrastructure. Key influencing factors include forest coverage, GDP per capita, the number of star-rated hotels, transportation network density, policy initiatives, and urbanization rates. The results underscore the importance of a multi-dimensional approach to enhance rural tourism competitiveness and suggest targeted strategies for underperforming regions. This study contributes to advancing the theoretical framework of sustainable rural tourism and provides actionable insights for policymakers to foster balanced regional development, ecological conservation, and community-centered tourism practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanning Gao & Haozhe Zhang & Xiaowen Shi, 2024. "Sustainable Spatial Distribution and Determinants of Key Rural Tourism Villages in China: Promoting Balanced Regional Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8572-:d:1491374
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wookhyun An & Silverio Alarcón, 2020. "How Can Rural Tourism Be Sustainable? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Thowayeb H. Hassan & Amany E. Salem & Mostafa A. Abdelmoaty, 2022. "Impact of Rural Tourism Development on Residents’ Satisfaction with the Local Environment, Socio-Economy and Quality of Life in Al-Ahsa Region, Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Chenmei Liao & Yifan Zuo & Rob Law & Yingying Wang & Mu Zhang, 2022. "Spatial Differentiation, Influencing Factors, and Development Paths of Rural Tourism Resources in Guangdong Province," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, November.
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