Extent Of Regional Integration Research Articles

Network analysis of tourist flows: a cross-provincial boundary perspective

ABSTRACTIn contrast to the extensive research regarding tourist flows on the international, intranational, interregional, intercity, intracity and tourism-spot scales, little attention has been paid to the cross-provincial boundary perspective. In view of the fact that China's provincial administrative boundaries have a long history and a profound influence on the society, culture and economy of neighboring provinces, this study focuses on tourist-flow networks in China that cross ‘provincial’ boundaries. Tourist-flow data from a questionnaire survey and travel-agency-recommended routes were acquired, and the social network analysis method and boundary effect analysis were adopted for the first time to study the cross-boundary tourist flows. Lugu Lake in China was selected for the case study. The spatial distribution and impact factors of cross-boundary tourist flows are discussed, and a scientific basis for future collaborations among cross-boundary tourism destinations is provided. The following conclusions are reached. (1) The spatial structure of cross-boundary tourist-flow networks is complex. There is a core–periphery structure, and each node assumes different roles and functions. (2) Cross-boundary tourist flows are significantly influenced by the boundary-shielding effect, and the properties, direction and extent of the effects are diverse and depend on accessibility, resource endowments, resource heterogeneity and the extent of regional integration. (3) Cross-boundary tourist flows are affected by a boundary-mediating effect, and structural holes play a critical role in the boundary-mediating effect and drive the integration of regional tourism.

Význam subintegračního seskupení OECS v kontextu vývoje HDP jeho členů

The regional integration process allows worldwide formation of many regional clusters with an economic focus at most. Some partnerships of such units can create clubs of regions with a higher degree of integration process, compared to the rest, so their extent of regional integration is very high-powered. The present analysis shows that since the formation of such a unit - OECS subintegration cluster, the GDP of the involved countries has defi nitely developed better than that of the higher integration unit - the CARICOM integration cluster, and the rest of the area as well. Beyond, some higher intensity of recognised effect in the long-term period has been found. Accordingly to the discovered fi ndings, we can suggest that the emergence of similar phenomena of “integration within integration” brings clear evidence of positive development to its participants in terms of economic performance. Similar initiatives of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy - grouping of territorial cooperation support - appear to be partially correct in this view. However, the main policy’s objectives require other approaches.

The integration of the city‐region of the Pearl River Delta 珠江三角洲城市区域的一体化

AbstractAlthough known as ‘the factory of the world’, the labour intensive industry in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region has lost its edge. The region is rapidly transforming itself, and the integration of the region is part of this process. Through a review of the integration progress of the city‐region of the PRD, this research note compares two attempts in regional integration made by Guangdong's provincial government, the ‘Modernization Plan for the PRD Economic Zone’ in the 1990s and the ‘Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the PRD’ in 2008. It shows that, in terms of the scope and extent of regional integration, the second attempt, with the important endorsement of central government, has proposed more comprehensive measures for implementation, and these measures seem to be speeding up the integration process in the PRD.摘要虽然被称为“世界工厂”，劳动密集型产业在珠江三角洲已失去发展优势。珠江三角洲正处在急剧的转型过程中。区域一体化是这个转型过程之一。通过回顾珠三角城市区域的一体化进程，本文比较了广东省政府推动一体化进程的两次尝试：1990年代的“珠江三角洲经济区现代化规划”和2008年的“珠江三角洲改革发展规划纲要”。比较显示，得到中央政府背书的第二轮一体化尝试更具广度和深度，措施更综合。初步的迹象显示出这些措施正在提速珠三角区域一体化的进程。

Regional Trading Arrangements and Regional Integration

The formation of new or geographically expanded regional trading arrangements is one of the dominant trends in the world economy. This paper reviews the changing nature of regional trading arrangements. In the 1980s and 1990s a new generation of arrangements has gone much beyond the removal of border‐trade barriers to the harmonization of non‐border instruments such as national subsidies and commodity taxes, standards, business law regulations and competition policy. They also, in some cases, cover service trade and factor trade. These extensions beyond the scope of traditional customs unions and free trade areas pose new questions about the meaning of regional integration. This paper proposes a new definition of regional integration in terms of price convergence and looks at the extent of regional integration in East Asia.