Water-tourism nexus: impact of the water footprint of inbound tourists to China

Abstract

Abstract The water footprint is a new concept used to understand the water resources uses; however, few studies have applied it to the service industry and the impact analysis are not abundant. This study explored how water footprint of tourism influenced water resources based on inbound tourists to China from 2001 to 2018. The total water footprint of inbound tourists (ITWF) was 7273.15*106 m3, and showed an upward trend. The spatial pattern was agglomerated, being mainly concentrated in North China, East China, and South China. The standard deviation ellipse showed that the horizontal axis was first east, and then west. According to the background water footprint, the ‘contribution’ of ITWF to the background water surplus differed in each province. According to the background water stress, the impact roughly separated into large, medium, and small using overlay analysis. Based on ITWF and water stress levels, the 31 administrative regions of mainland China were separated into four types and put forward suggestions: double-high pressure type, cautious development type, double-low potential type and optimised development type. This study provided a theoretical reference for governments, and is conducive to promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of tourism and water resources.