Assessment of coordinated development between tourism development and resource environment carrying capacity: A case study of Yangtze River economic Belt in China

Abstract

Although tourism development (TD) has economic benefits, its rapid development has brought serious environmental pollution and high-speed consumption of resources, which has caused a threat that can not be ignored. The ecological environment and tourism resources are an important part of the survival and sustainable development of tourism. The contradiction between TD and the resource environment cannot be eliminated, how to promote its coordinated development is the focus of this study. The evaluation system of TD and resource environment carrying capacity (RECC) is constructed in this paper, the situation of TD, RECC, and coupling coordination degree (CCD) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is analyzed based on the CCD model and dynamic DM model. It is found that the evaluation values in all aspects of the study area were in a dynamic upward process from 2006 to 2018, and showed obvious characteristics of spatial imbalance. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai in the eastern coastal areas were at a high level, while Guizhou, Yunnan, and Anhui in the inland areas were at a low level. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction and contradiction relationship between TD and RECC, and provide effective references and suggestions for future tourism development projects, which is of great significance to the regional long-term sustainable development of tourism.