Abstract
Promoting tourism in China using sustainable practices has become a very important issue. In order to analyze temporal characteristics and spatial regularities of green total factor productivity (GTFP), carbon emissions and the consumption of energy related to tourism in China were estimated using a "bottom-up" method. The construction of a measurement framework (including carbon emissions and energy consumption) of GTFP for the tourism industry was also undertaken. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) model and the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index were used to measure and calculate tourism GTFP in China between 2007 and 2018, as well as analyze spatio-temporal differences. Results indicate that: (1) carbon emissions and the consumption of energy are increasing, and they have not yet peaked, with traffic associated with tourism accounting for the largest proportion among tourism sectors; the spatial distribution of carbon emissions and the consumption of energy is not balanced; (2) green development of tourism in China has achieved a good level of performance during the study period, driven by technical efficiency. Since 2014, pure technical efficiency (PE) has been >1, indicating that the tourism industry in China has entered a stage of change and promotion; (3) significant spatial differences exist in tourism GTFP in China. For example, the overall pattern of being strongest in the east and weakest in the west has not changed. Currently, eastern, central, and western regions in China rely on different dynamic mechanisms to promote tourism green development. In addition, some provinces have become the core or secondary growth poles of tourism green development in China.
Highlights
Tourism, a national strategic pillar industry, has increased in importance in China as livelihoods have improved and industrial transformation and upgrading have been promoted
Carbon emissions and consumption of energy increased from 7056.25 million tons and 989.25 MJ to 15,351.70 million tons the consumption of energy increased from 7056.25 million tons and 989.25 MJ to 15,351.70 million and 2368.35 MJ from 2006 to 2018, recording a growth rate of 10% and tons and 2368.35 MJ from 2006 to 2018, recording a growth rate of 10%
Tourism industry carbon emissions and energy consumption in China increased year by year, and there is still room for further increases. This finding is consistent with those of, amongst others, Han, Zheng, and Wang, who recorded that rapid expansion of tourism in China resulted in an increase in carbon emissions and energy consumption, and environmental issues related to these factors will become increasingly significant [1,36,37]
Summary
A national strategic pillar industry, has increased in importance in China as livelihoods have improved and industrial transformation and upgrading have been promoted. Due to processes and links, tourists consume a large amount of energy, they produce a substantial volume of carbon emissions, resulting in tourism not being a "zero-emission" green industry. Carbon emissions related to tourism directly and indirectly account for about 5% of total national emissions [1,2], deviating from the original industry characteristics of low source consumption, low environmental pollution, and a sustainable cycle. Only through the promotion of green development can the tourism industry return to its original industrial characteristics and become a supporting and advantageous industry in the pursuit of sustainable development in China.
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