Inter-provincial pattern of the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization

The coordinated development between touristization and urbanization is the key to optimizing regional industrial structure and building a long-term dynamic mechanism for urbanization. Based on constructing the measurement index system of touristization and urbanization level, the evaluation model on the coupled and coordinated degree is used in this paper to measure the inter-provincial pattern of the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization in 31 provinces and autonomous regions in China. The results show that the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization is significantly different in different regions, which presents a gradient decline pattern of the highest in the east, the lower in the middle and the lowest in the west. In the future, measures should be taken to promote the coordinated development between touristization and urbanization in accordance with the regional differences and actual development needs.

Spatial Differentiation of Rural Touristization and Its Determinants in China: A Geo-detector-based Case Study of Yesanpo Scenic Area

Tourism has emerged as a major driving force in the growth and expansion of rural settlements. After several studies revealed spatial differentiation of touristization among rural settlements, studies were conducted to explain this phenomenon. However, most of these studies explained spatial differentiation of rural touristization in a qualitative way. More robust and detailed quantitative results are needed to evaluate the relative roles of different factors. In this study, which takes Yesanpo tourism as a case study, the Geo-detector method was introduced to evaluate determining factors of rural touristization. Results show that ＂distance to core entry＂, ＂tourist number and sojourn time＂, and ＂distance to the nearest scenic area＂ have had a strong effect on the rural touristization in Ye- sanpo, whereas ＂distance to river＂, ＂elevation＂, ＂distance to main road＂, and ＂slope＂ have had a weak influence. The latter did, however, contribute a lot to touristization when interacting with ＂distance to core entry＂, ＂tourist number and sojourn time＂, and ＂distance to the nearest scenic＂, indicating the importance of these four factors. Higher rural touristization occurred in the zone near the core entry, with many tourists, long sojourn times, and proximity to the scenic area.

Factors determining changes in the network of marked hiking trails in the Sudetes

Hiking trails are a basic type of tourist infrastructure,which,on the one hand,make areas available for tourist traffic,and on the other hand,can contribute to the protection of the natural environment(if they are well designed and maintained).Owing to the variety of performed functions,their designation is determined by several factors:natural,technical,economic,social.Networks of trails change constantly.The aim of this article is to determine exactly what factors influence transformations within the hiking trail networks and what is their significance.To this end,three study areas in the Sudetes were analysed:one on the Polish side of the Sudetes-the Table(Stołowe)Mountains,and two on the Czech side-the rock town near the village of Sloup vČechách and the central part of Zlatohorskávrchovina.An analysis of changes in the shape of the networks over time was carried out,as well as surveys of institutions that were responsible for or influenced these transformations.These areas are characterised by a significant level of changes in the trail network.Among the factors influencing these changes,the tourist attractiveness of the area,the resilience of the environment,the intensity of tourism traffic,the environmental transformations associated with it,the history of tourism development and land ownership changes should be considered the most important.At each stage of forming networks,the key factor should be tourists’needs,including the desire to escape the urbanised environment.For this reason,trails should avoid roads with artificial(hard)surfaces and heavy automobile traffic.

Linguistic landscape and its impacts on place-making in mountain destination:A case of Mogan Mountain Town of Huzhou City,China

The place and placeness are believed to be a crucial perspective for comprehending the transformative dynamics of tourist destinations in the context of globalization and the rapid development of the tourism industry.As the material carrier of language,linguistic landscape is an intermediary for people to endow emotions and personalities into the place,becoming an effective path for exploring the place-making in a certain area.Mogan Mountain is a famous national tourist resort,which is located in Mogan Mountain Town,Deqing County,Huzhou City,China.This is a good case area for studying the relationship between linguistic landscape and placemaking in tourist destinations.There are two theories that form the theoretical foundation of the study,namely the place and the geosemiotics.Firstly,the results showed the overall style of the linguistic landscape.Multilingual labelling(52.7%),official signs(55.3%),and standardized Chinese characters predominantly shaped the linguistic landscape,with English and other languages being complementary.Secondly,from the perspective of three dimensions of the geosemiotics framework,such as inscription,language preference,and placement position,we conduct a comprehensive semiotic analysis of the linguistic landscape,which encompasses diverse facets such as fonts,materials,shifts in state,text vectors,and symmetrical arrangements.Finally,we explore the influence of linguistic landscapes on the place-making of Mogan Mountain through the dimensions of location,locale,and sense of place.The information on linguistic landscapes indicates the geographical location.These linguistic landscapes play an important role in constructing the language order,nostalgic atmosphere,exotic atmosphere,and elegant and tasteful lifestyle of the public space in Mogan Mountain.Readers of linguistic landscapes,including tourists and residents,generate and identify with the unique sense of place in Mogan Mountain.These linguistic landscapes construct the destination placeness of Mogan Mountain that combines both foreign and nostalgic styles,and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures.It will help promote the image positioning of tourism destinations and have practical guiding significance for the tourism planning,landscape-making,language management,and other aspects of tourism destinations.

The coordinated evolution of ecological environment,public service,and tourism economy along the Silk Road Economic Belt,using the Dual-Carbon Targets

Carbon peak and carbon neutrality(dual-carbon)are important targets for the international response to climate change.The Silk Road Economic Belt is a strategic resource region and is important for future ecological environment and tourism development.Based on the“dual-carbon”targets,the Single index quantification,Multiple index synthesis,and Poly-criteria integration evaluation model were used in this study to measure the coordinated development index of the ecological environment,public service,and tourism economy along the Silk Road Economic Belt and to analyze its spatial and temporal evolution.Further,it explores the dynamic evolution and development trend of the three systems using the Kernel Density and Grey Markov Prediction Model.The results show that the coordinated development index along this region needs to be improved during the study period.Furthermore,the coordinated development index of the Southwest region is relatively higher than that of the Northwest region.From the development trend of the three systems,all of them develop in a stable manner;however,the tourism economy system is easily affected by external disturbances.The coordinated development index of the three systems changes dynamically and tends to be in a good state of coordination.There is a certain spatial and temporal heterogeneity.The gravity center of the coordinated development index has been in the Southwest region.During the forecast period,the coordinated development index along this region will improve significantly,while insufficient and unbalanced development will continue.

A system-integrated approach for the design of tourist areas at the local level under changing conditions:A case study in the Altay Mountains

The existing approaches for the design of tourist areas often lead to limited flexibility in project implementation.To realize a more flexible approach,in this study,we formulated a model for planning and designing tourist areas at the local level.Moreover,specific tools for analyzing tourist areas and ensuring sustainable development under changing conditions were developed.This study was conducted in two tourist regions,Biryuzovaya Katun tourist complex and Belokurikha destination(including Belokurikha City with Belokurikha 2 Gornaya tourist complex and surrounding areas),in the Altay Mountains.We employed the recreation opportunity spectrum and proposed a system-integrated programming approach for the design of tourist areas at the destination and site levels.The key of this approach was the collection and analysis of current spatial data,including the spatial distribution of attractions and visitor flows.We constructed heat maps using video recording and unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)observation data.Moreover,we analyzed the video stream using an image-analyzing framework You Only Look Once(YOLO)v5 software.The heat map of visitor flows based on video recording data in the Andreevskaya Sloboda museum of Belokurikha 2 Gornaya tourist complex allowed us to highlight the most attractive sites in this area and classify them into one of three types:points of functional concentration,points of transitional concentration,and points of attractions.The heat maps in Biryuzovaya Katun tourist complex,created using UAV observation data,allowed us to determine the spatiotemporal patterns of visitor flows and tourists’preferences throughout the day within four time intervals:09:00-12:00,13:00-14:00,14:00-15:00,and 16:00-18:00(LST).The maximum visitor flow density occurred from 16:00 to 18:00 in the beach area of the artificial lake.A comparison between the visitor-concentrated sites and the current facilities provided insights into the demand for attractions and facilities and the lacking areas.Heat maps are useful in analyzing the land use at the site level,while zoning based on the recreation opportunity spectrum can be used to design tourist areas at the destination level.The proposed methods for analyzing the use of tourist areas contribute to the development of adaptive tourism design.

How Sense of Ritual in Tourism Impacts Tourists’Co-Creation of Tourism Experience Values:A Study Based on the Theory of Value Co-Creation

Establishing a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios offers tourists the opportunity for interactive engagement.Drawing upon the value co-creation theory,this study constructed an influence mechanism model to examine tourists'active engagement in the process of co-creating tourism experience values.It employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling(PLS-SEM)to empirically test the proposed hypotheses.The findings demonstrate that the model constructed in the present study exhibits robust reliability,validity,and explanatory power.The perception of the sense of ritual in tourism exerts a significant positive influence on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values,thereby significantly enhancing both the communitas and flow experienced by tourists during their travels.Moreover,such communitas and flow can mediate the influence of the sense of ritual in tourism on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values.This study contributes to advancing the current research on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values and the sense of ritual in tourism,thereby providing theoretical foundations for cultivating a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with Great Joy

Series of Activities for 2024 Chinese New Year Launched by the Ministry of Cultureand Tourism From January 18 to March 11, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism ofthe People's Republic of China organizes the 2024 Chinese New Yearthemedcultural and tourist activities "Celebrate the Chinese New Year withGreat Joy", which includes 25 main activities in 7 major sections, coveringpeople-benefit art performances, public service activities, demonstration ofintangible cultural heritage experience, tourism and leisure consumption,ice & snow research and tourism, cultural exhibitions, international anddomestic interaction and other fields, with supply of high-quality cultural andtourist products, so as to enrich the holiday life of the people and to meet thepeople's requirements for a happy New Year.

‘Nihao! China’--2024 Silk Road Tourism Overseas Promotion Season

Seriesof activities of"Nihao!China"-2024 Silk Road Tourism Overseas Promotion Seasonaimed at launching regional and thematic tourist products and exquisite tourist routes for the international community,showing the picturesque natural scenery and meaningful cultural heritage along the Silk Road,presenting the thought,culture and spiritual connotation carried by the Silk Road for thousands of years,achieving in continuing to enhance the exchanges,cooperation and common prosperity among countries,regions and ethnic groups,and enabling the high-quality development of China's inbound tourism.

China Ushers in Consumption Boom During Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year holiday has ignited a new round of consumption boom.During the eight-day holiday,China experienced an estimated 474 million domestic travel trips,China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported.The number of trips marked the 34.3%increase from the year prior and a 19%jump from 2019.According to government figures,domestic tourists spent over 632.687 billion yuan,an increase of 7.7%compared to holiday spending in 2019 and a 47.3%year-over-year hike.China witnessed approximately 6.83 million cross-border tourists during the holiday period,with about 3.6 million outbound tourists and 3.23 million inbound tourists.

Water Town Zhouzhuang

Every year this scenic water town is crowded with tourists and is an ideal place for those interested in getting a glimpse of the landscape that is characteristic of traditional southern Chinese towns.

2024 Inner Mongolia Featured Folk Activities Contributing to Chinese New Year Tourism Economy Achieving a Record High

During 2024 Chinese New Year,the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,taking the opportunity of building the brand of"Northern Border Culture",took the chance to hold the 14th National Winter Games,and launched more than 1,500 featured activities in 7 categories with the theme of"Celebrating Chinese New Year with Dragons and Horses to Welcome the New Spring".Efforts were made to provide abundant product supply,give full play to the advantages of ice&snow tourism in InnerMongolia Autonomous Region,achieving in meeting the various cultural and tourist requirements of travelers,and enriching new tourist models such as"tourism+sports","tourism+folk customs","tourism+camping"and"tourism+cross-country program".

Beijing on a Picture Postcard

A Danish fan of Chinese culture has found an innovative way of sharing the Chinese capital’s history with more people.A visit to the bustling Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing might lead you to a quaint small shop in the Yangmeizhu Byway in the Dashilar area,a famous ancient commercial zone that is a prime tourist attraction today.Unlike other modern cafes,restaurants,and cultural shops in the street,the shop,Beijing Postcards,started by the Danish Lars Ulrik Thom,sells cultural and creative products with historical elements.As a gallery on Beijing’s history,it has become a communication space connecting residents and tourists with the memory of old Beijing.

Research on the Construction and Application of Service Quality Evaluation Models for Scenic Spots:Taking Chongqing Ciqikou as an Example

In the current environment of increasingly fierce competition in the tourism industry,service quality has become crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of scenic spots.This paper uses the SERVQUAL model to design a service quality evaluation questionnaire that captures the gap between tourists’expectations and perceptions,using the Ciqikou Scenic Spot as a case study.Data collected from field surveys are used to comprehensively and meticulously evaluate the service quality of the Ciqikou Scenic Spot.The analysis results show that the scenic spot,with its unique folk culture experience and beautiful ecological environment,has certain advantages in terms of service quality.However,significant deficiencies exist in infrastructure and environmental hygiene.Accordingly,targeted improvement suggestions are proposed to further enhance the service quality of the Ciqikou Scenic Spot and meet the increasingly diverse and personalized needs of tourists.This study provides not only a specific service quality improvement strategy for the Ciqikou Scenic Spot but also a valuable reference for other tourist attractions.

WORLD NEWS

DENMARK A tourist looks out at icebergs in an ice bay in Greenland on 15 July.FRANCE An Olympic Torch Relay event is held in Paris on 14 July on the occasion of the Bastille Day,the French national day.

A Boost to Inbound Tourism China sees surge in foreign travellers following introduction of visa-free transit measures

One of the viral terms on Chinese social media these days-“city bu city”–was actually created by a foreign tourist.The tourist,a blogger,used the term,which literally means city or not city,in a short video he filmed while visiting the Great Wall,wondering whether the place is like a fashionable big city.

Development Strategies for Z County E-sports Town in Chongqing:Integration of E-sports,Tourism,and Agriculture under New Policies

Chongqing Z County E-sports Town was once included in the“first batch of sports and leisure characteristic town pilot project list”issued by the General Administration of Sports of China.After several years of development,the e-sports industry in Z County e-sports town has struggled with issues such as a limited market,low popularity,poor business performance,and a lack of income generation capabilities.These challenges have severely hindered the town’s development,resulting in its exclusion from the recent“Chongqing characteristic town list.”Under the requirements of new policies,it can no longer promote itself,attract investment,or undertake project construction under the name of a“characteristic town”and must undergo redevelopment.This paper employs case analysis and comparative investigation methods to conduct an in-depth empirical study on the development of Z County E-sports Town.It is proposed that under the new policy environment,the town should foster the deep integration of its existing e-sports industry and culture with tourism and agriculture,transforming Z County E-sports Town into a new characteristic tourist destination.The findings of this paper offer a reference for the development of similar towns facing stagnation and provide case support for the construction of tourist destinations featuring e-sports.

Investigating the tourism image of mountain scenic spots in China through the lens of tourist perception

A favorable tourism image of high-quality mountain scenic spots(HQMSS)is crucial for tourism prosperity and sustainability.This paper establishes a framework for investigating the tourism image based on cognitive-emotion theory and uses natural language processing(NLP)tools to clarify the cognition,emotion,and overall tourist image of the HQMSS in China from the perspective of tourist perception.This paper examines the multi-dimensional spatial differentiation of China's overall image,including province,scenic spot scales,as well as the spatial pattern of the overall comprehensive tourism image.Strategies for comprehensively improving HQMSS's tourism image are also formulated.The results show that:(1)The cognitive image of Chinese HQMSS is categorized into core and marginal images,and the core images such as scenery and cable car are the expression of the uniqueness of mountainous scenic spots.Additionally,the cognitive image is classified into six dimensions:tourism environment,tourism supporting facilities,tourism experience,tourism price,tourism service,and tourism safety.(2)Positive emotions are the dominant mood type of HQMSS in China,followed by neutral emotions,with negative emotions being the least frequent.Emotional images vary across dimensions,with tourism environment and tourism experience evoking relatively higher emotion.(3)The spatial pattern of HQMSS for each dimension at the national,provincial,and scenic scales is diversifying.This article provides a multidimensional perspective for investigating the tourism image of mountainous scenic spots,proposes targeted recommendations to improve the overall image of HQMSS in China,and can greatly contribute to the sustainable development of mountain tourism.

Evaluation of the potential of coastal cliffs as geosites for the promotion of geotourism

Coastal zones, with their significant geodiversity, are vital areas for geotourism. Effective management is crucial to harness the geological interest of these sites as geotourism resources while ensuring their conservation. ManabíProvince is one of the most representative regions along the Ecuadorian coast due to its beaches and coastal cliffs, offering a wealth of tourist attractions and cultural elements. This study aims to evaluate the geosite potential of six cliffs in ManabíProvince through quantitative and qualitative analyses to propose geotourism promotion strategies. The methodology involves (i) inventory and characterisation of the cliffs, (ii) assessment of the sites by the Spanish Inventory of Places of Geological Interest method (IELIG), and (iii) qualitative evaluation through focus group discussions and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. The results reveal that all six sites boast diverse geological assets, including geomorphological, stratigraphic, sedimentological, and tectonic elements. They are characterised by “high ”scientific, didactic, and tourist interest, while also being sus- ceptible to degradation due to natural and anthropic threats. The SWOT analysis demonstrates that the valuable geological and geomorphological heritage of potential geosites provides an opportunity to foster geotourism and boost the province’s economy, incorporating geoconservation and geoeducation strategies. This study proposes a georoute called “Ruta Acantilados del Sol ”, a 245 km journey encompassing all six sites, incorporating diverse tourist and cultural activities. Our research lays the foundation for fostering geotourism along the Manabícoast and strengthening the connection between nature, heritage, and the welfare of residents within a global resilience plan.

Extension of Goal-Directed Behavior Model for Post-Pandemic Korean Travel Intentions to Alternative Local Destinations: Perceived Risk and Knowledge

Since the outbreak of COVID-19,tourists have been increasingly concerned over various risks of international travel,while knowledge of the pandemic appears to vary significantly.In addition,as travel restrictions continue to impact adversely on international tourism,tourism efforts should be placed more on the domestic markets.Via structural equation modeling,this study unearthed different risk factors impacting Korean travelers’choices of alternative local destinations in the post-pandemic era.In addition,this study extended the goal-directed behavior framework with the acquisition of perceived risk and knowledge of COVID-19,which was proven to hold a sig-nificantly superior explanatory power of tourists’decisions of local alternatives over foreign countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.Furthermore,desire was found to play an imminent mediating role in the conceptual mod-el,maximizing the impact of perceived risk on travel intentions.Henceforth,this research offers meaningful the-oretical implication as thefirst empirical study to deepen the goal-directed behaviour framework with perceived risk and knowledge in the context of post-COVID-19 era.It also serves as insightful knowledge for Korean tour-ism authorities and practitioners to understand local tourists’decision-making processes and tailor effective recovery strategy for domestic tourism.