Reconstructing high-quality tourism spatial structure: an empirical study of Shanxi Province from the perspective of supply and demand

The spatial structure of tourism plays a crucial role in regional development, as it not only improves resource utilization efficiency but also enhances regional competitiveness and development potential through spatial agglomeration effects. However, previous studies on tourism spatial structure tend to focus on a single perspective, leading to a lack of a thorough understanding of the tourism activity, thereby affecting the effectiveness of policies. Based on commonly used academic perspectives, this study uses ArcGIS spatial analysis to examine Shanxi Province’s tourism resource data from government supply and visitor demand dimensions. Results reveal that single-perspective analysis fails to fully capture the complexity of tourism spatial distribution, highlighting the need for a high-quality spatial structure. Thus, this study applies the theory of the ‘pole-axis’ to reconstruct the spatial structure of tourism in Shanxi Province. It also proposes the layout of ‘one pole, three axes, four districts, and seven centres.’ offering a theoretical foundation for optimizing Shanxi’s tourism spatial structure and strategic guidance for sustainable development. Moreover, it provides strategic guidance for developing high-quality tourism spatial structures in other regions.