Hierarchical policy evolution and impact on industry advancement in marine tourism: A comprehensive study of China

Abstract

Identifying the target positioning and promoting coherent signal transmission in the hierarchical policy system are critical driving forces to maximize policy effectiveness and foster sustainability in marine tourism. With the continuous highlighting of the key role in marine tourism industry and the improvement of relevant policies, this research explores the evolution and effectiveness of marine tourism policies in China from 2012 to 2021. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it combines signaling theory and strategic choice theory to expound the dynamic impact of policy signal transmission. The main findings are the three administrative levels have established related yet distinct policy topic priorities and preferences in the use of policy tools during policy formulation and there is a strong emphasis on economic environment-oriented policy tools and identifies both one-way and two-way causal relationships between policy power and company performance. Thus, this study provides a basis for international policy adaptation and calls for future research to broaden the cultural applicability of the framework and deepen policy document analysis.