Regional differences, dynamic evolution, and driving factors of tourism development in Chinese coastal cities

Abstract

Tourism plays a significant role in the economic development of coastal cities. This study constructed an evaluation index system to evaluate the development of the tourism industry in Chinese coastal cities. Based on data from 39 coastal cities in China from 2010 to 2019, the regional differences, dynamic evolution, and drivers of tourism development in coastal cities in China were studied using the entropy method, Dagum Gini coefficient, Kernel density estimation, and spatial Durbin model (SDM). The following results were obtained. (1) The level of tourism development in China's coastal cities showed a pattern of decline, followed by an increase. (2) Regional differences in the development of tourism in coastal areas were significant, and mainly derived from intra- and inter-group differences. (3) The evolution of tourism development in coastal cities showed a clear gradient effect and divergence. (4) The direct effect of economic development, transport construction, technological innovation, and high-end special tourism services on coastal tourism development was positive; the indirect effect of transport construction and economic development was positive; and both the direct and indirect effects of environmental regulation intensity showed a U-shaped curve. The findings of this study have practical implications for promoting the development of the tourism industry in coastal areas and for enhancing regional economies.