The Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Ski Resorts in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region: Characteristics and Influencing Factors

Abstract

Ski resorts are one of the bases for the development of ice-snow sports and tourism, and they are also a hot topic of social concern. Taking 117 ski resorts in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei as the research object, geospatial analysis methods such as kernel density and spatial autocorrelation were used to explore the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of the ski resorts. The geographic detector was used to deeply explore the underlying factors influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of ski resorts in terms of policy factors, natural factors and economic and social factors. This study found that the spatial and temporal distribution of ski resorts in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region showed a significant Olympic event-driven characteristic. From 2009 to 2021, the spatial pattern of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ski resorts has changed from “single-core development”, to a “single-core with multi-point” layout, and then to a “multi-core” layout. The spatial pattern has changed from agglomeration to diffusion. Cold and hot spots of the spatial and temporal characteristics in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ski resort have shifted from north to south, from the initial suburbs of Beijing to the southern cities of Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and other cities in Hebei Province. The spatial and temporal distribution of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ski resorts has been influenced by many factors, from “GDP per capita” to “population density” to “policy quantity”, showing a shift from “Economic-driven” to “population-driven” to “policy-driven” processes.