The A-level tourist attractions are an important carrier for the development of the tourism industry. As the most fundamental tourism supply, studying their spatial distribution pattern and driving forces is of great significance for promoting the process of regional tourism industrialization. This study used the tourism resource abundance index, nearest neighbor distance index, and geographic detector model to study the spatial characteristics and driving forces of A-level tourist attractions in China. The results showed that the A-level tourist attractions in China exhibit significant spatial clustering, but there are significant regional differences. They are mainly distributed on the southeastern side of the Hu Huanyong Line. Overall, the average of tourism resource abundance index is 71.74. The proportion of cities above that average is relatively low, and they form local high-value clustering areas mainly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, Yangtze River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions. The spatial distribution patterns of various types of scenic spots also exhibit agglomeration characteristics, but their agglomeration scales and spatial patterns exhibit obvious regional differences. The spatial distribution pattern of A-level tourist attractions in China is a result of the combined effect of regional socio-economic factors and scenic environmental factors. Among them, the explanatory power of regional socio-economic factors is stronger than that of scenic environmental factors. Among the scenic environmental factors, resource endowment has the strongest explanatory power, and there are significant differences in the dominant factors influencing the distributions of different types of A-level tourist attractions.

Effectively enhancing the efficiency of the regional tourism economy is a key issue in advancing high-quality tourism development in Northeast China and implementing the Northeast China Revitalization Strategy. Based on a tourism efficiency indicator system, this study employed an SBM super-efficiency model to calculate the tourism efficiency in Northeast China from 2003 to 2022 and analyzed the characteristics of its spatiotemporal evolution. A Tobit model was subsequently used to investigate the influencing factors, which can inform targeted measures to promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry. The results reveal that the tourism efficiency is relatively low overall, and it has been shaped by many factors other than policies. (1) Tourism efficiency in Northeast China remains relatively low overall. Over time, it exhibited a spiralling upward trend that moved through three developmental stages: the stable stage, the stage of rapid growth, and the stage of fluctuations. Spatially, there are two high-efficiency clusters, the Changchun-Harbin urban agglomeration and the Southeast Liaoning urban agglomeration. However, the agglomeration effect waned accordingly as tourism efficiency gradually shifted from a polarized pattern toward a more balanced distribution. (2) While policy plays a role, tourism efficiency in Northeast China is also significantly shaped by factors such as resources, location, industry, science and technology, and education. Its correlation with the level of economic development has been comparatively minor, and there are marked differences in the factors influencing tourism efficiency across the region. According to the research conclusions, a joint development system for the regional tourism economy should be constructed at the macro level. At the micro level, efforts should focus on enhancing market competitiveness through “push-pull” strategies, while each province should pursue differentiated development models tailored to its unique characteristics.

Mountain tourism destinations provide individuals with the opportunity to articulate their feelings, enhance their inner selves, and foster personal growth. Exploring the factors and action paths of the health benefit perception of mountain tourists is crucial for advancing the sustainable development of mountain tourism destinations. This study conducted a questionnaire survey among tourists in the Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Spot, and obtained 410 valid responses. Based on the person-environment fit theory and self-regulation theory, this study used structural equation modeling and the Bootstrapping technique to explore the impact mechanism of tourist-environment fit (T-E fit), flow experience, and place attachment on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception. There are three main conclusions of this study. (1) The impact of T-E fit on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception is completely mediated by flow experience and place attachment. (2) Place attachment exerts an independent mediating effect between T-E fit and mountain tourists’ health benefit perception. (3) T-E fit positively affects mountain tourists’ health benefit perception through the chain mediating effects of flow experience and place attachment. This research enhances the empirical findings about T-E fit, expands the research perspective of mountain tourists’ health benefit perception, and provides practical guidance for the management and development of mountain health tourism destinations. This study also broadens the multi-dimensional research perspective on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception, reveals the chain mediating role of flow experience and place attachment, and offers practical guidance for promoting the formulation of differentiated health tourism products in mountain tourist attractions, as well as case references for establishing health tourism sites in mountainous regions.

Sightseeing spots and accommodation facilities constitute the primary activity spaces for visitors in traditional rural areas, so assessing the spatial coupling of sightseeing, accommodation, and recreation in such destinations can provide a critical foundation for optimizing the allocation of recreational amenities. Taking Wuyuan County in Jiangxi, China as an example and based on the models of coupling coordination degree and Geographical Detector, the spatial coupling and its driving factors of these three tourism elements in traditional rural tourism destinations were studied at the spatial granularity of grid cells. The findings reveal that while sightseeing spots, accommodation facilities, and recreational amenities all tend to be clustered in human settlements, their high to extreme levels of coupling coordination are only observed in the central town and a few large traditional villages. The coupling coordination of sightseeing-accommodation-recreation is primarily driven by tourism popularity, urbanization level, road network density, and economic industrialization. These drivers influence their coupling coordination degree mainly through separate and interactive effects on the development levels of the tourism elements. In terms of their separate effects, tourism popularity exhibits stronger explanatory power for the development of sightseeing and accommodation compared to other drivers, while urbanization level and economic industrialization demonstrate significantly greater explanatory power for recreation development. Regarding interactive effects, most interactions between the major drivers exhibit a two-factor enhancement pattern. The current coupling status of sightseeing-accommodation-entertainment in traditional rural tourism destinations not only applies pressure for the conservation of large traditional villages but also hinders other traditional villages and natural attractions from meeting the recreational needs of tourists. Consequently, governments must implement differentiated management strategies for recreational amenities that are tailored to different types of scenic areas.

As rural B&Bs gain popularity amid growing demand for personalized tourism experiences, understanding the multifaceted drivers of customer decision-making is becoming critical. Existing research often examines individual factors, leaving a gap in comprehending complex causal pathways. This study used online travelogue data, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) to examine the factors and combination pathways influencing customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs. The results indicate that customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs are influenced by multiple factors including the natural environment, material space, cultural space, quality of service, experience of home, entertainment education, culinary delights, surrounding environment, and value-added services. In addition, four main types of customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs were identified: Environmental immersion, Educative entertainment, Service experience, and Comprehensive perception. This study contributes to our understanding of customer behavioral intentions in rural tourism settings both practically, by offering actionable strategies for B&B operators, and theoretically, by enhancing the existing framework for studying them.

The unique architectural form and decorative craftsmanship of Liao Pagodas serve as tangible evidence of the diverse unity of Chinese civilization. Research on the existing Liao Pagodas has revealed a clear linear spatiotemporal differentiation. In the temporal dimension, the density and characteristics of their construction align with the rise and fall of the Liao Dynasty's national strength. In the spatial dimension, Liao Pagodas are centered around the five capitals of Liao and show a marked gradient of decline along major transportation routes and the Song-Liao border. This distribution is both constrained by natural geographical conditions and reflective of the Liao dynasty's political wisdom of “governing according to local customs” by implementing a dual-track system of governance that used national systems for the Khitan and Han systems for the Han people. However, in current cultural tourism development practices, Liao Pagodas are often developed in a “scenic spot” manner using a singular, isolated model, leading to their disconnection and fragmentation from the overall layout of Liao cities, regional religious networks, and even historical contexts. This weakens the comprehensive interpretation and depth of experience of their heritage value. To address these issues, this paper proposes a “linear corridor” cultural tourism development approach for Liao Pagoda cultural heritage based on a study of their spatiotemporal differentiation. This approach breaks the isolation of individual heritage sites and constructs a cross-regional cultural heritage corridor. It focuses on exploring operational implementation paths such as “series cultural creations”, “linked research studies”, and “technological narratives”. This perspective not only effectively avoids the risk of cultural context fragmentation caused by individual development but also provides a practical direction for the revitalization and utilization of Liao Pagoda heritage, which supports the coordinated development of the regional culture and economy.

Substantial evidence suggests that the utilization of green spaces may have a significant impact on the physical, psychological, and social health and well-being of children. Therefore, the decline in green space usage among contemporary children indicates a need to explore the factors that affect the frequency of park usage. In this study, a multi-level regression model was developed and used to identify the factors influencing children’s use of green parks. Six urban parks in the central city of Shanghai, China, were taken as cases, and the influencing factors of 317 children aged 6-9 years were examined using the two levels of parents and parks. Parental factors included the parents’ perception of benefits obtained from park activities, their own childhood outdoor experience, their working hours, and their worries about the potential for accidents. The natural environment scoring tool was adopted for evaluating park features. According to the results, for children aged 6-9 years, parental factors play a decisive role in promoting or preventing their connection with urban parks. The urban park factors, especially their usability, are also important factors promoting children’s park use. Therefore, to improve the interaction between children and urban parks, various methods and approaches can be adopted such as education of the parents, green space management, urban planning, and social marketing.

Developing sports tourism to attract more visitors and bring more employment opportunities to residents has become an important means of promoting rural revitalization in China. However, its impact on the well-being of rural residents has not been explored. Based on first-hand questionnaire data collected from Huangsha Village in China and the methods of factor analysis and multiple regression analysis, this study investigates the influence of perceived impacts of sports tourism on the subjective well-being of rural residents. The results indicate that the more positive the rural residents’ perception of sports tourism impacts, the better their subjective well-being. The participation of residents in sports tourism was confirmed to be a mediator. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guide for the sustainable development of rural sports tourism destinations from the residents’ perspective, which may also contribute meaningfully to our understanding of tourism development from a resource management perspective.

Red tourism in China has expanded significantly since 2004, driven by government initiatives focused on economic development, cultural preservation, and Communist Party promotion. Despite this growth, red tourism often fails to engage tourists effectively due to a lack of focus on their experiences. This study employed the Q method with 31 samples to identify four key components of memorable red tourism experiences: identity experience, mixed emotional experience, cost-effective experience, and knowledge experience. Theoretically, this study underscores how red tourism can fulfill personal political goals and highlights the impact of affordability on creating memorable experiences. It also challenges the idea that hedonism is central to red tourism, while stressing the importance of cultural authenticity. The findings provide practical guidance for red tourism destination management to create more engaging and meaningful experiences. The recommendations include enhancing experiential atmospheres, incorporating red cultural elements, and balancing cultural authenticity with entertainment.

Tracking and investigating tourist satisfaction and accurately identifying the key factors that affect tourist satisfaction have always been among the top priorities for academia and tourist attraction operators. With the rise of online travel, analysis based on online comments has become an important method for tracking and surveying tourist satisfaction. This article examined the online comments of tourists for the Panjin Red Beach Scenic Corridor Scenic Area (hereinafter referred to as Red Beach) on Ctrip as an example. Using natural language processing to classify the tourist evaluations into topics, the main topics of concern were identified as tourism services, tourism attractions, scenic area management, and tourism experience. Through the 5-level rating of Ctrip’s online gaming customer satisfaction, an analysis was conducted on tourist satisfaction and the topics of greatest concern to the tourists were ranked. The results showed that the satisfaction levels from high to low are: tourism experience, tourism attractions, scenic area management, and tourism services. Therefore, satisfaction with related content under the service topic was the lowest so this aspect urgently needs to be improved and enhanced.

Soundscape is critical in shaping tourists’ experiences and perceptions of the acoustic environment of a park. Creating a well-perceived soundscape is an important factor in enhancing the quality of scenic spots and improving visitor satisfaction in parks. This study selected Park 1903 and Xishan Forest Park as examples of urban parks and forest parks to analyze variations in sound levels and sound source types in two different types of parks. Then, a structural equation model was constructed to unveil the correlation between soundscape perception and visitor satisfaction. The results showed that sound source perception was relatively lower in Park 1903 than in Xishan Forest Park, where natural sounds were more popular among tourists. Further, the perceived occurrence of sounds was higher in Park 1903 than in Xishan Forest Park. The sound level in Park 1903 slightly exceeded the noise limit (55 dB(A)) for Class 1 acoustic environment functional areas, as per the Environmental Quality Standard for Noise (GB 3096-2008), while the sound level in Xishan Forest Park complied with this standard. In Park 1903, soundscape pleasantness improved with increasing degrees of dominance of artificial sounds. Moreover, soundscape pleasantness and richness in both parks had a positive effect on visitor soundscape satisfaction. Furthermore, gender and education level were the most influential factors for soundscape perception in Park 1903 and Xishan Forest Park, respectively. However, age and place of residence were not correlated with soundscape perception in Xishan Forest Park. In conclusion, the variations in sound sources and visitor characteristics remarkably affected visitor soundscape perception in different types of parks. The findings provide valuable insights and a theoretical basis for designing soundscapes and improving park visitor satisfaction.

Ice-snow tourism is emerging as a vital sector for economic growth. As the climate crisis affects traditional ice-snow tourism destinations, southern China has built a significant ice-snow tourism sector. This expansion is fueled by significant tourist demand, a robust economy, and a high population density, which together lead to different development opportunities for ice-snow tourism in mid- and low-latitude areas. This study examines cities in southern provinces and assesses the resource endowment of ice-snow tourism resources from 2018 to 2023 in five categories: ice-snow events, ice-snow festivals, ice-snow venues, ice-snow parks, and ice-snow attractions. By utilizing Baidu Index data, the research looks at the gap between resource endowment and internet attention in winter tourism using a spatial mismatch model. The findings indicate that: (1) Ice-snow tourism endowment in South China is currently limited but experiencing rapid growth. (2) Internet attention in winter tourism within these cities varies, following an “up-down-up” trend. (3) There is a mismatch between resource endowment and internet attention. Over time, the development paths of ice-snow tourism in southern cities can be classified into three types: priority development, active development, and inertial development, influenced by factors such as policy changes, urban economic conditions, overall tourism development, and natural geography.

Climate change has become a significant global issue, impacting various sectors, including ski tourism. In recent years, the intersection between climate change and ski tourism has gained considerable attention. To explore this topic, we reviewed recent research papers published in recent years on ski tourism, snow, and ice sports, and climate change and selected the three dimensions of ski resorts, ski tourists, and governments and communities where ski resorts are located to summarize and analyze the literature from the perspective of stakeholders. The results revealed the following perspectives. First, climate change has led to reduced natural snowfall at ski resorts, resulting in shorter ski seasons. This has caused operational challenges, particularly for smaller, lower-altitude resorts, and decreased tourist satisfaction and loyalty, leading to fewer ski trips, shorter stays, and a shift toward alternative destinations. Additionally, ski tourism's decline negatively affects the economies and environments of the regions dependent on this industry. Second, strategies to mitigate climate change's impact on ski tourism are essential. Ski resorts can utilize artificial snowmaking equipment and the extension of effective skiing time. Ski tourists, following the leisure substitution theory, may shift their destinations or adjust their skiing schedules. Governments can counter the effects of climate change by developing infrastructure, integrating regional resources, and enhancing overall competitiveness.

Rural homestays are a vital component of rural tourism development. With the deep implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, rural homestays have increasingly become a focal point for young urban tourists. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, this study systematically explores the impacts of the brand experience, information quality, and tourism atmosphere of rural homestays on the emotions and satisfaction of young urban tourists through an empirical analysis. The data for the study came from a questionnaire survey of various rural lodgings in the city of Beijing, resulting in 428 valid samples. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study revealed that brand experience, information quality, and tourism atmosphere are external stimuli that significantly influence tourist emotions. Specifically, these three factors both enhance positive emotions and reduce or alleviate negative emotions. Furthermore, the positive emotions have a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction, while negative emotions have a significant negative impact. Specific recommendations for rural homestay operations based on these findings are given. These recommendations will not only help to improve the market competitiveness of rural homestays but also provide valuable theoretical and practical insights for the sustainable development of rural tourism.

Rough tourism growth does not promote dual-carbon goals nor the implementation of a comprehensive saving strategy. Accordingly, the booming development of the digital economy in recent years has provided new momentum for structural upgrades and green growth in the tourism industry. This study aims to test the impact and mechanism of developments in the digital economy on the green innovation efficiency (GIE) of the tourism industry. Using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2019, this study quantifies the GIE of the tourism industry using the Super-SBM model of unexpected output. In this study, the digital economy development index was measured using principal component analysis and empirically analyzed using a two-way fixed effects regression model. The results of the study revealed that the development of the digital economy has promoted in large part the improvement of Chinese tourism GIE; the enhancement effect of the digital economy development on the eastern region is more noticeable than that of central and western regions; the digital economy can promote the enhancement of Chinese tourism GIE by promoting innovation in green technology and upgrades to industrial structure. Moreover, a distinct threshold in the promotion of tourism GIE by the digital economy exists, corresponding to a nonlinear diminishing marginal product. This study provides a new perspective for assessing the impact of the digital economy on the development of tourism GIE. Moreover, it provides a policy reference for exploring the path of tourism GIE and realizing high-quality development.

This study introduces a novel framework to dissect and understand tourists' cultural perceptions within river basins. The framework consists of two complementary parts: first, it develops a multi-dimensional system to identify cultural perceptions through textual analysis; second, it uses advanced methods like deep learning and spatial clustering to analyze and compare these perceptions across different cities and regions. The findings from the Yellow River Basin reveal six key dimensions of cultural perception: historical, architectural, folklore, food, religious, and leisure. The basin exhibits three distinct cultural patterns: an upstream polycentric network, a central ‘cultural circle’ around Xi’an, and a city-to-city pattern downstream. Furthermore, the basin is categorized into ten unique cultural perception regions, each highlighting diverse tourist perceptions. This framework not only offers a methodological beacon for future regional tourism studies but also equips managers with strategic insights to enhance the quality and cooperation in river basin tourism development.

This study employs the comprehensive index method and the coefficient of variation method to explore the integration mechanism of regional culture and tourism. It measures the integration development degree of culture and tourism subsystems in 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province. Additionally, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to investigate the integration mechanism. The results indicate the following: From 2012 to 2021, the comprehensive index, integration degree, and integration development degree of cultural subsystems in the 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province exhibited noticeable periodic changes. Between 2015 and 2019, the growth rate in eastern prefecture-level cities was significantly faster than that in central and western cities. In 2019, all regions—eastern, central, and western—experienced a downward trend, and the spatial difference in recovery growth in 2020 was minimal. Within the cultural and tourism integration system, the industry foundation and activity scale of the cultural subsystem are interdependent, while the industry foundation of the tourism subsystem results from the market scale. The central factors are primarily focused on the industrial base and the activity or market scale of the criterion layer of both subsystems. Conversely, the economic contribution of the criterion layer of the two subsystems has a minimal impact on centrality.

Rural tourism serves as a catalyst for rural revitalization and plays an important role in poverty alleviation in Inner Mongolia. This study analyzes the spatial distribution of key villages and star-rated rural (pastoral) households in Inner Mongolia as rural tourism destinations, clarifies their distribution patterns, and contributes to the development of rural tourism in Inner Mongolia. By selecting rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia, importing the coordinate points obtained from Baidu Map API into Arc GIS 10.8, and using indices such as the nearest neighbor index, location quotient, kernel density analysis, the geographic concentration index, and the geographic correlation ratio for quantitative analysis, this study explores the distribution patterns and identifies the driving factors influencing the distribution of rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia using geographic detectors. The results are：(1) Rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia exhibit agglomerated distribution in space, with uneven distribution among different leagues and cities. (2) The spatial density of rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia shows the characteristics of “a single core center, with decreasing density toward the periphery, and dispersed secondary cores, and dispersed secondary cores.” The actual geographic concentration index G is 30.23, while the distribution index G₀ under uniform conditions is 29.14. Since G is greater than G₀, a certain degree of agglomeration exists in the spatial distribution of rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia, but the overall degree of agglomeration is not strong. (3) Tourism infrastructure, economic development, tourism potential, and natural factors collectively influence the spatial distribution of rural tourism destinations in Inner Mongolia. Among them, economic development, tourism potential, and tourism infrastructure have significant impacts on the distribution of key villages. In terms of subsystems, the number of A-level scenic resources has the highest explanatory power (q=0.848), followed by the number of tourists received (q=0.788), employment in the tertiary industry (q=0.687), and the resident population (q=0.603), which are the main factors influencing the spatial differentiation of rural tourism destinations.

The integration of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and tourism is a vital component of the holistic development of culture and tourism. This study examines the spatial distribution characteristics and tourism integration development models of Hulunbuir City through a spatial geography lens, employing nearest neighbor index and kernel density analysis. The results indicate the following: (1) Arts and crafts, as well as performing arts ICH resources, play a dominant role and are of a higher level, exhibiting a distinct agglomeration pattern centered around the main core area, sub-core area, and marginal area, which reflect the current distribution status. (2) Based on these findings, a spatial integration and optimization model is proposed, initially centered on the core area of ICH resources. Subsequently, a characteristic resource culture and tourism integration model is developed from three perspectives: resource-driven penetrative integration, product-driven restructured integration, and market-driven extension integration. (3) This study argues that the dynamic system driving the integrated development of ICH and tourism consists of three key subsystems: thrust, tension, and support. Their interactions constitute the dynamic mechanism underlying integrated development. Ultimately, this study provides a rational framework for the preservation and utilization of cultural heritage, thereby broadening the scope of cultural heritage studies.

Taking Shanghai as an example, this study obtained the online travel notes data from Xiaohongshu and Qunar in the past 10 years to construct the Shanghai tourist flow network (STFN) and used the methods of change point detection (CPD) and complex network analysis (CNA) to reveal the spatial structure characteristics of Shanghai tourism flow and the dynamic evolution process of STFN. The results showed that: (1) In the past 10 years, Shanghai tourist market had experienced a process of evolution from stable and orderly to short-term fluctuation and then gradual recovery, and the year of 2019 was the turning point of tourist flow network evolution. (2) The small-world and approximate scale-free characteristics of STFN were verified, and the network changed from disassortative to temporary assortative, showing a development trend of external expansion and internal separation. (3) While the centrality indicators of tourist flow network remained stable as a whole, the attention to cultural nodes was also increasing with the emergence of new nodes; (4) In terms of spatial connection, new popular nodes emerged and the relationship between them and the surrounding nodes was strengthened; (5) The spatial pattern of tourist flow network presented an inverted “V” shape and gradually expanded to southwest and southeast, forming a network with core nodes as the center and radiating outward. At the same time, newly emerging nodes at the periphery had formed relatively independent clusters.

This paper explores the pathway toward harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature through the lens of ecotourism, delving into its impact on tourists’ cognition of the natural environment, cultivation of emotional connections, and its pivotal role in shaping environmentally responsible behavior. At the Luya Mountain Scenic Area, a case study was conducted in July 2021, collecting 632 valid tourist questionnaires to investigate the nexus among “ecotourism experience”, “emotional experience”, and “environmental responsibility behavior” using structural equation modeling. Moreover, the relationship between tourism and daily environmental behavior was scrutinized with canonical correlation analysis. The findings unveil several substantial revelations: (1) Engagement experience significantly and positively influences tourists’ inclination toward responsible behavior. (2) Emotional experience mediates the relationship between educational, engagement, and escapism experiences and the inclination to act responsibly. (3) The utilization of digital information technologies positively moderates the conversion of emotional experience into a willingness to behave responsibly. (4) Ecotourism responsibility is linked to daily behavior, and cognitive and emotional experiences foster long-term environmental protection. This study provides a pioneering approach to enhancing tourism offerings within the scenic area and nurturing a sustainable human-environment relationship.

Based on the theories of sustainable tourism development, tourism lifecycle, and stakeholder theory, and guided by the “production-living-ecological space” concept, this study refines and supplements the research established by relevant scholars to construct a structural equation model focusing on production, living, ecology, and residents’ attitudes towards the development of mountain outdoor tourism. The purpose of the study is to promote the participation and support of residents in tourist areas in the development of outdoor tourism, which holds certain significance in advancing rural revitalization and sustainable development in the region. Through analyzing the data gathered primarily from residents of Siguniang Mountain Town using SPSS and SmartPLS data analysis software, this research reveals following conclusions: (1) There is a significant interaction between “production, living, and ecological space”, with living spaces having the most notable impact on the relationship with ecological spaces; (2) Perception of production has a marked impact on both living perception and ecological perception; (3) The lifestyle and ecological concepts of residents have a significant impact on their attitudes towards the development of mountain outdoor tourism. The results of this study will contribute to further exploration of mountain outdoor tourism and residents' attitudes, providing reference for local management and tourism development.

Based on data from Beijing museums spanning 1980 to 2020, this study employs spatial analysis methods such as geographical concentration index, imbalance index, kernel density and standard deviation ellipse characterize the temporal and spatial evolution of Beijing museums and analyze their influencing factors. The research shows that the museum development in Beijing has undergone three stages: a slow start, high-speed development and high-quality upgrading. The development of cultural relics and industrial museums tends towards balance, and the market-oriented development of museums continues to improve. The “single core” concentration distribution of Beijing museums is prominent, showing a typical “center edge” distribution with a trend of new core formation during expansion. Temporally, Beijing museums exhibit an inverted “L” evolution pattern, trending from north to east with Haidian and Chaoyang districts poised to become new centers. Distribution across intervals is uneven, yet the overall pattern is evolving towards a balanced distribution. The research on factors influencing the spatial distribution of museums, including population, resources, economy, and transportation, innovatively introduces educational factors. It shows that Beijing museums are transforming from “population driven” and “resource driven” to “education driven” over time.

Based on the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), the Sustainable Livelihood Framework of Yujiale fishing tourism farmers was developed. Starting from the perspective of farmers, grounded theory was used to excavate the specific forms of information capital that were represented. Subsequently, the quantitative analysis method was used to quantify the livelihood capital of farmers from six dimensions: natural, physical, financial, human, social and information capital. Finally, Geodetector methods were adopted to explore the factors influencing the information capital level. The results show that the weight and value of information capital are high, which is an important factor that cannot be ignored. In addition, the educational age structure and economic income ability are important factors affecting the level of information capital. This study provides theoretical support for pinpointing the intrinsic value of information capital in the livelihood capital structure of farmers, and for comprehensively interpreting the livelihood level of farmers in the rural tourism destination of Changdao of China.

Awe, as a positive emotional experience, is recognized for its role in facilitating tourists’ pro-environmental behavior (TPEB). However, despite its significance, awe has received minimal attention in tourism-related research. This research introduces an expanded model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that integrates awe into the rational-oriented TPB framework to examine its impact on TPEB. We collected data at the Mount Huangshan scenic spot in China and employed structural equation modeling for data analysis. Findings suggest that the extended TPB model, which incorporates the emotion of awe, outperforms the original TPB model in predicting TPEB. Awe experienced in nature-based destinations is mainly influenced by the perception of the natural environment (PNE) and significantly predicts TPEB. Study findings offer an integrated framework combining emotional and rational perspectives to understand the factors driving TPEB in nature-based tourism. Furthermore, the study aims to establish connections between the psychological experience of awe and the philosophical perspective of the sublime. Importantly, our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the role of nature-based tourism as an effective model to facilitate tourists’ environmental attitudes, emotions, and behaviors. Finally, the implications for practice are discussed.

In the mass tourism era, the rising demand for personalized and high-quality experiences necessitates a distinct urban tourism image. This study examined tourists’ perceptions of Harbin during non-ice and snow seasons using network text analysis within the “cognitive-emotional-overall” framework and a ROST content mining tool. Our analysis of travelogues revealed that Harbin is seen as an exotic, culturally rich destination, yet tourists have limited awareness of its natural resources. While overall emotional responses from tourists were positive, facilities and services received some criticism. The views of tourists were primarily focused on popular urban sites, highlighting the need for diversification. This study contributes to the theoretical discussion on the formation of the city’s tourism image and suggests strategies that will allow Harbin to transition from a season-specific tourism model to a year-round tourism model, thereby enhancing its four-season destination brand in terms of infrastructure, industry innovation and market management.

Tourism-related plastic waste poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide, underscoring the need for effective tools for measuring its generation and informing decision-making and management. This paper introduces the concept of the tourist plastic footprint through a conceptual framework analysis and proposes a measurement methodology that uses a time-geography approach. Empirical data were collected from Fragrant Hills Park in Beijing and analyzed using statistical methods. The findings reveal that the plastic footprint of tourists at Fragrant Hills Park averages 10.04±0.32 items per capita per day. The waste consists of 27 distinct components, with the key contributors including plastic garbage bags (17.12%), plastic food packaging (12.48%), and tableware packaging (9.96%). Plastic garbage bags are predominantly discarded in hotel settings, while tableware packaging is primarily disposed of in restaurants outside the scenic area. Plastic food packaging is discarded in various locations, including the scenic area, transportation hubs, and hotels. This study enhances the tourism ecological footprint literature by providing deeper insights into the plastic consumption of tourists and offering a structured framework for quantifying plastic waste. For practical application, it offers valuable guidance for decision-makers in tourist destinations who aim to improve their plastic pollution control measures.

Against the backdrop of rapid tourism development, the imbalanced distribution of conflicting interests among community residents in tourist destinations has become a focus of attention. As core stakeholders of tourist destinations, community residents play an indispensable role in creating a “hospitable atmosphere”. Community residents’ participation in tourism development is vital for promoting sustainable development. Environmental justice theory emphasizes the fairness of resource allocation and participation in negotiations, and it has developed into an essential issue for the sustainable development of tourist destinations. This study took Skula Town in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture as a case study to explore the participation behavior of residents in ethnic tourism communities in the development of tourist destinations. Based on grounded theory and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), a complex causal model of high participation behavior of the residents in ethnic tourism communities was constructed to reveal the multiple influencing factors and their interrelationships from the environmental justice perspective. Nineteen complex combination paths were identified that can promote the high participation behavior of community residents, which verified the diversity and complexity of the conditions behind the high participation behavior of residents in ethnic tourism communities. The results show that fair resource allocation, effective environmental protection measures, and residents’ recognition of tourism development are the key factors driving high participation behavior. This study reveals the complex relationships between multiple factors that influence participation behavior from the perspective of environmental justice, with the aim of deepening our understanding of residents in ethnic tourism communities’ participation in tourism development and providing a reference for the sustainable development of local tourism and the stable development of society.

Developing the rural homestay industry is beneficial for poverty reduction in rural areas and its sustainable development is closely related to the continuous operation intention of rural homestay entrepreneurs. Based on a first-hand questionnaire survey data for 368 rural homestay entrepreneurs, methods such as factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and the mediation effect test were used to explore the impact of entrepreneurial motivation on the continuous operation intention of rural homestay entrepreneurs and its internal mechanism. The results indicate that entrepreneurial motivation has a significant positive impact on rural homestay entrepreneurs’ continuous operation intention. Community relations and entrepreneurial performance perception not only have simple mediating effects, but they also play a serial role in mediating the above relationship. This study provides a systematic theoretical framework for understanding and improving the continuous operation intention of rural homestay entrepreneurs, which can assist in ending the poverty dimension of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to some extent.

Within the domain of homestays, it is imperative to prioritize the augmentation of hosts' pivotal role and the facilitation of pro-environmental behavior among tourists as essential strategies for promoting the sustainability of homestay accommodations. This research utilizes homestays in Pingtan Island as a specific example and employs a survey methodology to collect data. Additionally, a structural equation model is utilized to analyze the causal relationship between situational factors within homestays and the pro-environmental behavior of tourists, specifically within the context of host-guest interaction. The results of the study indicate that there is a favorable correlation between environmental quality and the interaction between hosts and guests, and visitors' pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, it is worth noting that situational circumstances play a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of host-guest interaction. This, in turn, serves as a mediator for the influence of situational factors on tourists' pro-environmental behavior. Based on the aforementioned findings, the present study proceeds to examine the pragmatic ramifications of the research and provides recommendations for prospective areas of investigation.