Potential evaluation and spatial development strategies of glacier tourism in China

Abstract

This paper takes location and transportation,resources and environment,infrastructure and development,and socio-economic potential as important factors,and constructs a potential assessment system of glacier tourism development.Employing hierarchical analysis and analytic hierarch process,this paper evaluates synthetically glacier tourism development potential of 32 administrative units at prefectural level in China's glacier area,and puts forward some relevant spatial development strategies.Some results are obtained as follows.(1) The regions with higher potential index of location and transportation are concentrated mainly in provincial capitals and their surrounding cities,which are characterized by geographical advantages.(2) The regions with richer glacier resource,bigger glacier scale,or better combination advantage between glaciers and the surrounding landscapes,or most enriched tourism resources have mostly higher potential index of resources and environment.(3) The regions with ongoing glacier tourism have higher potential index of infrastructure and development.(4) The regions with higher potential index of socio-economy include mainly provincial capitals and surrounding cities with better industrial bases,and some of the regions have taken tourism industry as a pillar.Generally,the regions with higher comprehensive potential index have better traffic conditions,richer glacier resources,better economic and social background,closer tourist market,better access to glacier area,or richer regional tourism resources.