Abstract
Based on panel data on 124 prefecture-level and above cities from 2003 to 2018, this study investigated the impact of CNSAs on tourism economic development and the moderating effect of time-limited rectification by comprehensively using the quasi-DID model, the static spatial Durbin model, and the dynamic spatial Durbin model. The results showed that the impact of CNSAs on tourism economic development has a heterogeneous characteristic in terms of tourists and revenue. In addition, the spatial spillover effect and the path dependence have effectively promoted tourism economic development. Furthermore, the effectiveness of time-limited rectification has been proved in this study, while the “beggar-thy-neighbor” effect has, to some extent, weakened the promotional effect of CNSAs on tourism economic development, especially in terms of international tourists and international tourism revenue. Finally, relevant policy implications for the superior department in charge, local governments, and the management department of CNSAs are outlined to provide a practical reference for promoting the high-quality development of the tourism economy in China.
Highlights
Faced with the dichotomous challenge of balancing the quest for economic growth and its associated risks for the environment, the tourism economy has taken central stage among scholars and policymakers at home and abroad for its features of cleaner production and sustainability [1,2,3,4]
In Columns (1)–(4), we examined the impacts of CNSAs on tourism economic development; in Columns (5)–(8), we replaced the number of CNSAs (i.e., d1 ) with its interactive term and time-limited rectification (i.e., d1 ∗ d2 ) and re-estimated the impacts
The coefficients of d1 ∗ d2 were significantly positive in Columns (5)–(7) but insignificantly positive in Column (8), while the spatial lag coefficients of it were insignificantly positive in Columns (5) and (7), insignificantly negative in Column (6), and significantly negative in Column (8); in other words, after the implementation of time-limited rectification, the direct and positive impacts of CNSAs on tourism economic development were retained in local cities, while the indirect and positive impacts of it on tourism economic development were no longer supported in surrounding cities, that is, the effectiveness of time-limited rectification was not supported in the static spatial analysis
Summary
Faced with the dichotomous challenge of balancing the quest for economic growth and its associated risks for the environment, the tourism economy has taken central stage among scholars and policymakers at home and abroad for its features of cleaner production and sustainability [1,2,3,4]. Over the past 40 years, China’s tourism industry has stimulated economic activities thereby serving as a great catalyst for economic growth [5]. To achieve the dual goals of protection and development, the Chinese authorities have issued various policies to promote the development of the regional tourism economy based on protecting natural and cultural resources [5,6]. As important support of tourism development, Chinese national scenic areas CNSAs) have been acknowledged as an important engine of regional economic growth by driving infrastructure construction, increasing employment opportunities, and promoting industrial structure upgrading [6]. To show China’s major scenic areas conveniently, competent authorities have set CNSAs as top-level scenic spots [7,8]
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