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Journal of Resources and Ecology >

2024 , Vol. 15 >Issue 6: 1722 - 1732

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.06.026

Rural Revitalization and Ecotourism

Sustainable Development of Urban Landscape Construction and Tourism in Hefei, China: A SWOT and AHP Analysis

  • SHEN Zhiqiang , 1, 2, 3, * ,
  • GAO Xuyang 1 ,
  • NI Ming 4 ,
  • AN Ran 1 ,
  • XIE Zhihao 1 ,
  • TU Yujie 1
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  • 1. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232001, China
  • 2. Engineering Research Center of Underground Mine Construction, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232001, China
  • 3. State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
  • 4. Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark
* SHEN Zhiqiang, E-mail:

Received date: 2023-09-04

  Accepted date: 2024-01-30

  Online published: 2024-12-09

Supported by

The Scientific Research Foundation for High-level Talents of Anhui University of Science and Technology(2022yjrc07)

The Open Project Program Foundation of Engineering Research Center of Underground Mine Construction, Ministry of Education (Anhui University of Science and Technology)(JYBGCZX2023104)

The Opening Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol (Sun Yat-sen University)(2024SKLBC-KF01)

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Abstract

In recent years, as a new first-tier city in China, Hefei has made great progress in the construction of urban landscapes, but there were also problems such as the unbalanced development of scenic spots and a need for more characteristics in landscape construction. To further improve the level of urban landscape construction and promote tourism development, we analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of urban landscape construction as well as tourism development in Hefei based on the SWOT-AHP model, constructed a hierarchical analysis structure model, and proposed corresponding countermeasures for its sustainable development. The results show that the opportunities (0.4966) > strengths (0.3281) > weaknesses (0.1115) > threats (0.0638) of urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei. The most important opportunity was the development opportunity brought by the national macroeconomic policies; the most important strength was the strength of traffic location; the main weakness was that the ecological problem had not been resolved; and the main threat was that the early developed nearby scenic spots had obvious strengths. The four-quadrant coordinate method provided the strategic center of gravity coordinates P(x, y) = (0.1457, 0.2191) and the strategic strength coefficient ρ = 0.9368. It is concluded that future Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism development should adopt an active growth-type development strategy. Finally, based on these analysis results, we propose corresponding development strategies and suggestions to provide a reference for further promoting Hefei's urban landscape construction and high-quality development of the tourism industry.

Key words： sustainable development; urban landscape construction; tourism; SWOT-AHP model; Hefei

Cite this article

SHEN Zhiqiang , GAO Xuyang , NI Ming , AN Ran , XIE Zhihao , TU Yujie . Sustainable Development of Urban Landscape Construction and Tourism in Hefei, China: A SWOT and AHP Analysis[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2024 , 15(6) : 1722 -1732 . DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.06.026

1 Introduction

Landscape construction involves the creation, landscaping, and preservation of landscape resources to provide a pleasant living environment and recreational space for humans (Dong, 2012; Wang et al., 2021; Yeh et al., 2021). Urban landscapes are a tangible representation of city life and play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of the urban environment and the beauty of the cityscape. With the rapid pace of urbanization, issues related to the urban ecological envi-ronment have become increasingly prominent. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize the development of urban landscapes to address the deteriorating urban ecological environment. Particularly, given the growing demands for better living and housing conditions, it is even more important to prioritize the enhancement of the urban ecological environment and focus on the construction of urban landscapes to achieve sustainable city development.
Previous studies have reported that SWOT-AHP analysis has been widely used in many fields (Pi et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022a; Liu et al., 2023). For instance, previous studies have used the SWOT-AHP model for smart city analysis of Dalian’s old city transformation problems (Wang et al., 2021). In addition, many studies have found that the SWOT-AHP model analyzes tourism development. Specifically, Wu et al. (2020) used the SWOT-AHP model to analyze the development in Guanling Fossil National Geopark in Guizhou. Pi et al. (2022) studied the sustainable development of Enshi forest therapy tourism based on the SWOT-AHP model. However, the SWOT-AHP model is mainly utilized in the research of forest parks, recreation bases, and other disciplines and is less commonly employed in the study of garden construction and the sustainable development of tourism in cities.
In recent years, Hefei has been dedicated to implementing the “Park City” concept, which focuses on ecological principles. Alongside economic development and policy support, Hefei has prioritized the idea of ecological civilization. The city’s efforts in urban landscape construction aim to create a national ecological landscape city. This goal has driven the promotion of high-quality development in urban landscape construction, the reform of the forest management system, and the reinforcement of ecological protection and restoration. As a result, the quality of urban gardening in Hefei has significantly improved, injecting new energy into the construction of Hefei as an “ecological city” (Chen et al., 2012; Liu, 2019). However, compared to other exceptional landscape cities in China, Hefei still faces challenges such as the uneven development of attractions and a lack of distinct characteristics in its landscape construction. Therefore, we conducted a SWOT-AHP analysis to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Hefei’s urban landscape construction and tourism development. The primary goal of this study is to provide recommendations and insights for enhancing the quality of Hefei’s urban landscape construction and tourism development.

2 Materials and methods

2.1 Study site

Hefei serves as the capital of Anhui Province in East China. It is situated in the central part of Anhui Province. The city is surrounded by Chaohu Lake (30°57′-32°32′N, 116°41′-117°58′E). Hefei has a predominantly hilly and granular terrain with elevations ranging from 15-80 m above sea level, averaging 20-40 m above sea level. The total area of the city is 11445 km2 (Fig. 1). Hefei experiences a subtropical monsoon-humid climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are characterized by high temperatures and rainfall, while winters are mild and humid. The average annual temperature is 15.7 ℃, and the average annual precipitation is approximately 1000 mm. The city enjoys approximately 2000 hours of sunshine per year (Sun et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022b). Hefei has made significant achievements in urban landscape construction and forest wetland protection. It has successfully established 4 provincial forest cities, 59 provincial forest towns, 563 provincial forest villages, and 8 national forest villages.
Fig. 1 Hefei elevation map
The data source was a random consultation and research done with ten experts with extensive expertise in ecology, tourism management, and horticulture in Hefei.

2.2 SWOT-AHP model analysis

SWOT-AHP model analysis is based on qualitative analysis using the logical order of decomposition, comparative judgment, and synthesis to determine the weights of the indicators and the simplified solution of complex decision-making problems (Wasike et al., 2011; Fan and Xue, 2018; Liu et al., 2019). To establish a hierarchical model, the factors should be included according to their attributes based on the target layer, criterion layer, and indicator layer. Relevant experts are then consulted to conduct pairwise comparisons of the model indicators, forming a judgment matrix. The sum and product method, the square root method, or other commonly used methods are employed to calculate the weights of the elements based on the judgment matrix. The characteristic root method is utilized to determine the corresponding elemental weights, followed by a consistency test. Lastly, a hierarchical total ranking is conducted to determine the weight of each index relative to the overall goal. (Lee and Walsh, 2011; Sun et al., 2019). The specific steps were as follows:
(1) Constructing judgment matrices. A hierarchical model was built based on the results of the SWOT analysis to provide a hierarchical framework of indicators for the AHP study. Based on this, a “two-by-two comparison” method was used to assign values to the indicators at each criterion level and within the criterion levels to assess the relative importance of the indicators, and the values assigned to the indicators by all the experts were weighted to obtain an average score. To obtain an average score, weigh the values assigned to each indicator by all experts. The constructive matrix’s indicators were designated aij, and their values were calculated using the mean value ratio and the following equation:
a i j = a i / a j
where aij is an indicator of the construction matrix; ai is the average score of indicator i; and aj is the average score of indicator j. Thus, the comparison results were transformed into a two-by-two comparison judgment matrix A with the following equation:
A = a i j = a 11 a 12   ⋯ a 1 n a 21 a 22 ⋯ a 2 n ⋮ a n 1 ⋮ a n 2 ⋱ ⋮ ⋯ a n n
where A is judgment matrix; aij is the relative importance of i to j, and aij=1, if i=j.
(2) Consistency test. Because humans make inconsistent judgments, the AHP approach relies on the consistency ratio (CR) to authenticate experts’ judgments in pairwise comparisons (Shrestha et al., 2004; Liu et al., 2019). The following is an estimate of the consistency of pairwise comparisons:
C I = λ max − n n − 1
C R = C I R I
where CI is the consistency index; λmax is the largest characteristic root; CR is the random consistency ratio; and RI is the random index generated for an order n random matrix. If CR<0.1, the consistency test is passed, if CR>0.1, the matrix needs to be further modified until a satisfactory consistency is achieved (Pi et al., 2022).
(3) Determination of weights. The importance of each level of indicators relative to the previous level of indicators is determined by the consistency test of the judgment matrix, and the combination of the weights of each criterion level and the weights of the indicators within the criterion level is used to determine the priority score of all indicators and to carry out the consistency test of the total hierarchical ranking (Rajput et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2022a).

2.3 Four-quadrant coordinate method

The four-quadrant coordinate approach is utilized to identify the strategic objectives of Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism development (Liu et al., 2019). The development strategy and intensity were determined primarily by calculating the coordinates of the strategy map’s center of gravity, as well as the azimuth of the center of gravity point and the intensity coefficient (Zhang et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2023), and then exploring the sustainable development path of Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism. The SWOT-AHP model is used to assess the weighing data to determine the total strength (S), weakness (W), opportunity (O), and threat (T), and the intensity of each factor is computed as follows:
S = ∑ ​ S i / n s
W = ∑ ​ W i / n w
O = ∑ ​ O i / n o
T = ∑ ​ T i / n t
where ns, nw, no, and nt denote the total number of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat factors, respectively; and Si, Wi, Oi, and Ti denote the strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat of the i-th factor, respectively.
Afterward, we assessed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the four variables to establish a four-quadrant coordinate system. We will evaluate the overall strength of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat to determine the positioning of the coordinate points. By connecting these points, we will form a strategic quadrilateral. From there, we can calculate the center of gravity (P), azimuth (θ), positive strength (U), negative strength (V), and intensity coefficient (ρ) of the strategic quadrilateral. Finally, we will determine the specific strategic program and its level of intensity using the given formula (Li and Liu, 2019; Liu et al., 2019).
P x , y = ∑ ​ x i / 4 , ∑ ​ y i / 4
θ = arctan ( y / x ) ;   ( 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2 π )
U = S × O
V = W × T
ρ = U / U + V

3 Results

3.1 SWOT: Strengths (S)

S1: Transportation strengths. Hefei is strategically situated in the central region of Anhui Province and serves as a key hub in the Yangtze River Delta. It is considered an important component of the Yangtze River Delta’s world-class city cluster, and a national science center. Hefei benefits from its prime location and excellent transportation infrastructure. It is seamlessly integrated into the overall development of the Yangtze River Delta in the east, connected to the city clusters in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the west, and in proximity to the city clusters in the Central Plains to the north. As a comprehensive transportation hub at the national level, Hefei boasts a well-established and efficient three-dimensional transportation network comprising aviation, rail, road, and water transportation systems (Li, 2022). Consequently, Hefei enjoys a notable strength in terms of transportation, and its overall influence continues to increase.
S2: Resources strengths. Hefei is situated between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, which makes it abundant in natural resources. It is surrounded by Chaohu Lake, one of the five major freshwater lakes in the country, and is connected to the river and the sea through the South River, Chaohu Lake, and Yuxi River. The climate in Hefei is classified as a subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by four distinct seasons. Summer is hot and rainy, while winter is mild and wet. The city boasts a diverse range of plant resources, with deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forests as the zonal vegetation. There are over 450 species of woody plants belonging to 73 families and 170 genera, including 22 genera of gymnosperms and 148 genera of angiosperms in Hefei. The landforms in Hefei consist of hilly terrain, low hills, and low-lying plains, with many large comprehensive parks scattered throughout. The city also has a rich and unique human history, dating back over 2200 years since its establishment in the Qin Dynasty. It is well known as the hometown of the Three Kingdoms, the hometown of Bao Zheng, and the cradle of the Huai Army. Hefei is renowned for its local traditional drama Lu Opera, as well as the “Eight Scenes of Luyang”, the Bao Gong Ancestral Hall, the former residence of Li Hongzhang, the Promenade, the Three Kingdoms Ruins Park, the Three Rivers Ancient Town, the former site of the General Front Committee of the Yaogang River Crossing Battle, and the former residence of Liu Mingchuan. Overall, Hefei possesses exceptional natural and human resources.
S3: Urban landscape strengths. Hefei has been designated as one of the first landscape cities in the country, with a strong commitment to enhancing the quality of urban landscaping. The city has implemented an advanced and distinctive landscaping pattern. Currently, Hefei’s urban green space is organized into two rings, two sections, six lines, and several points in terms of spatial distribution. Following the “fan-type” urban master plan structure approved by the State Council, Hefei has constructed open-ring parks, allowing for interconnected landscapes throughout the old city. The city is also developing a farmland forest network in the southeast, extending from the South Interfluence River to Chaohu Lake, as well as forested areas in the northeast corner and a scenic area in the western suburb. These efforts have established a three-tiered green space system, laying the foundation for Hefei to become a landscape city (Wang, 2010; Liu, 2019). Moreover, Hefei has successfully integrated traditional Chinese natural landscape gardening techniques with urban planning and construction, resulting in a landscape city style that embodies contemporary Chinese characteristics.
S4: Forest management reform. In 2017, Anhui Province was the first to initiate the implementation of the forest chief system in the country. Hefei, the birthplace of this system, has been actively exploring and promoting its implementation. Currently, Hefei has successfully implemented the forest chief system at all levels, including the city, county, township, and village. In recent years, Hefei has made significant progress by prioritizing scientific greening tasks and promoting various initiatives and projects, such as the expansion of forests by ten million mu. Additionally, they have continued to engage the entire population in compulsory tree planting activities through methods such as nurturing and management, subscription building, and Internet+.
S5: Constructing legal institutions. To ensure that the construction and management of Hefei Garden follow the principles of the rule of law, standardization, and scientific approach and to promote the creation of a national ecological landscape city, Hefei has developed a set of local laws and regulations. Among these, the “Hefei Park Regulations” stand out due to their unique features. This regulation focuses on the concept of “Park City” and aims to provide legal protection for the construction of Hefei as a higher-level eco-forestry city, taking into consideration aspects such as overall planning and park design.

3.2 SWOT: Weaknesses (W)

W1: Inadequate landscaping. Although there has been significant improvement in gardening and greening in Hefei in recent years, the integration of landscape construction with the city is still lacking. A comprehensive urban green space system that combines points, lines, and surfaces has not yet been established. Currently, Hefei's urban green space construction is primarily focused on Dashushan Forest Park and city park. The suburban areas have relatively abundant green space resources, but the city center lacks distinctive green spaces. The distribution of green space is also uneven, with a significant difference in per capita public green space area between Shushan District and Yaohai District. There were also issues such as the lack of convenient routes for residents to access city parks and environmental, traffic, and safety hazards in the transition zones around the city outskirts (Yue, 2010).
W2: Ecological problem. With the progress of urbanization, the issue of the ecological environment has gained increasing attention from humans. Although the level of economic development in Hefei has grown rapidly in recent years, the ecological problem persists. Hefei has proposed a construction and development strategy of “big ecology, big landscape, and big environment” in the creation of the landscape city. However, the true meaning of “big” has not been fully realized, particularly in the lack of systematic ecological principles in the planning and construction of the landscape city. The harmonious vision of humans and nature in a good ecological environment has yet to be fully achieved. This lack of systematic ecological principles in the planning and construction of landscape cities poses risks to the ecological balance and other problems. Therefore, further efforts are required to address ecological issues in the process of urban development (Yue, 2010; Fan et al., 2022).
W3: Landscaping lacks character. Although Hefei has made significant improvements in the area of landscape greening and forest coverage through the promotion of landscape green space and flower borders in recent years, there were still some shortcomings in landscape construction. Some parks tend to plagiarize landscape sketches and plant configurations. The balance between shrubs and grasses in certain areas was not ideal. Native species were not fully utilized, which can lead to visitor fatigue. In the old city, there was a low greening rate and insufficient emphasis on landscape design, resulting in a lack of distinctive features in street green spaces. Additionally, many landscape scenic spots primarily focus on leisure and sightseeing tourism, with visitors simply enjoying the landscape along designated paths, resulting in a limited sense of participation. Furthermore, there is a lack of products that showcase local cultural characteristics, which reduces people’s desire to make purchases.
W4: Weak infrastructure, etc. Currently, some independently operated garden attractions in Hefei are facing challenges in terms of their food and beverage facilities, parking availability, restroom conditions, and supporting services. There was also a shortage of professionals in landscape management and operation. Overall, the infrastructure and management of some landscapes in Hefei were not yet fully developed, and there were still some areas that needed improvement. The lack of high-quality professionals in this field also hindered the overall progress of landscape construction in Hefei.

3.3 SWOT: Opportunities (O)

O1: National macroeconomic policies. Since the 18th National Congress, China has integrated the development of ecological civilization into its comprehensive “five-in-one” layout. The focus was on constructing environmentally friendly cities with lush greenery and clean water. To encourage the advancement of this construction, China has implemented several policies to support, encourage, and regulate the landscape construction industry. For example, in January 2020, the State Council issued a notice to strengthen urban greening construction, which outlined specific requirements for urban greening indicators in the future. This step aims to enhance the overall system and structure of urban landscape construction. Additionally, governments at all levels have increased their attention to urban greening and landscape construction. These efforts provide a policy framework to build a beautiful China and achieve sustainable development that is both green and healthy for the Chinese nation.
O2: Tourism market. With the rapid progress of the economy and society, there is a growing desire for leisure travel among people. The number of domestic tourists has reached unprecedented levels. As the capital of Anhui Province and a key city in the world-class city cluster in the Yangtze River Delta, Hefei is abundant in tourism resources and attracts a large number of tourists, offering a promising market. Furthermore, there was an increasing demand for smart tourism and recreational travel. Due to its convenient transportation and picturesque environment, Hefei has become the top choice for residents in Anhui Province seeking relaxation and enjoyment.
O3: Government attention. In recent years, the CPC Central Committee has incorporated the construction of ecological civilization into the party’s constitution. The idea of valuing nature and the environment has become deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Improving the quality of urban landscapes can enhance people’s interest in investing in and enjoying tourism. Hefei has actively responded to national policy and attached great importance to the development of urban landscapes. For instance, since 2010, Hefei has launched a comprehensive campaign to enhance urban greening, resulting in significant progress in urban landscape construction. To learn from pioneering cities such as Shanghai, Ningxia, and Hangzhou and promote the high-quality development of urban landscape construction, the Hefei Landscape Bureau took the lead in drafting the “Implementation Opinions” in 2021. This was followed by the publication of “Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Urban Gardening and Greening” and “Hefei Park Regulations”. These documents systematically plan the development of urban gardening and greening, with a focus on building a unique urban park system that reflects Hefei’s characteristics. With the support of these policies, Hefei has expanded and renovated approximately 1.2×107 m2 of green areas. Additionally, 375 new parks and landscapes have been constructed or renovated, transforming Hefei into a “city in the parks” with picturesque scenery throughout.
O4: Urban development requirements. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, Hefei, as the vice-center city of the world-class city cluster in the Yangtze River Delta, experienced rapid development. Its urban construction has now reached the level of large cities, making it one of the “new first-tier” cities. Currently, Hefei is focusing on the construction of key districts under the new development pattern. Transforming into a “new first-tier” city means that the spatial layout of the city will be further optimized. It is important to accelerate the establishment of a modern metropolitan area with multiple centers, multiple levels, and multiple nodes. To achieve this, Hefei needs to actively promote the construction of urban parks. This will not only contribute to the city’s comprehensive strength and ability to attract investment but also promote the city’s coordinated development.
O5: Surrounding tourism resources. Hefei is surrounded by a diverse range of tourism resources, such as nature reserves, scenic spots, and wetland parks. There were renowned parks, such as Huangshan Mountain, Jiuhuashan Scenic Area, Langya Mountain Scenic Area, Baigong Mountain Scenic Area, and West Anhui Rift Valley Scenic Area. Additionally, Chaohu, one of China’s largest freshwater lakes, Jiaogang Lake National Wetland Park, and Wanfo Lake National Water Conservancy Scenic Area offer further attractions. The Fante Tourism Resort has also become a prominent feature of Wuhu City. Leveraging its economic and transportation strengths, Hefei can tap into the abundant tourism resources in the surrounding area to develop new excursion opportunities and attract more tourists.
O6: Digitalization and intelligent city development. With the rapid growth of urbanization, there is increasing adoption of new-generation information technologies such as the mobile Internet, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and “3S” technology. These technologies played a crucial role in the digital transformation of urban landscapes. By integrating digital technology into landscape construction, it is possible to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of urban landscaping. This, in turn, contributes to the overall development and success of landscaping efforts. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize the development of an intelligent management system for urban gardening and greening, aiming to enhance the precision and scientific approach of these practices. This approach represents the future direction for the field of gardening and greening (Shi et al., 2019).

3.4 SWOT: Threats (T)

T1: Surrounding scenic strengths. Currently, there is a convergence of landscape ecotourism development projects in Hefei, as well as some competition from nearby picturesque spots. Despite Hefei’s abundant tourism resources and favorable location with convenient transportation, the surrounding tourist destinations in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have been established for a longer time and possess more mature management experience and operational expertise. Additionally, the competition from neighboring cities within the province will also pose a significant challenge to the development of tourism in Hefei. This is especially true for renowned tourist areas such as Mount Huangshan, considered the first famous mountain in the world; the Buddhist holy land of Jiuhua Mountain; and Wuhu Fantasia, which attract visitors away from the tourist attractions in Hefei.
T2: Environmental protection and development. In the process of urban construction and development in Hefei, the amount of natural green space has significantly decreased. Additionally, the unsustainable use of natural resources has resulted in a decline in animal and plant populations and the destruction of wetland biodiversity. Furthermore, in tourist areas, there were instances of tourists littering and damaging vegetation, which further contributed to the degradation of the landscape’s ecological environment. Consequently, finding a balance between development and the protection of natural resources, as well as promoting the high-quality development of urban landscape construction, poses a challenge to the development of tourism resources in Hefei.
T3: Threat of economic downturn. China’s economic development is currently being affected by global economic turmoil. This has created a challenging external environment and increased the risks faced by the economy. The downward pressure on the macroeconomy has also intensified, making it more difficult to secure investment financing for landscape construction and tourism development. Furthermore, the overall decline in the macroeconomy has impacted people’s willingness to travel and has led to increased costs associated with tourism expenditure. These challenges have reduced both the government’s and businesses’ confidence in investing in the tourism economy and the construction of tourist attractions.
T4: Impact of COVID-19. COVID-19 is the largest public crisis event in recent years. But other public health security incidents, such as the repeated influenza A epidemic, are not negligible. The fear of similar events may lead to a loss of confidence in the future tourism market.
T5: Urban landscape requirements. The construction of landscapes has a significant impact on the lives of individuals, and the diverse development of landscapes in urban areas can cater to people’s spiritual and cultural needs at various levels. As urban and rural development continues to progress, the enhancement of urban aesthetics and the improvement of urban management have become priorities for landscape designers. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on achieving diverse visual effects in landscapes, and people’s desire for a variety of features in urban landscapes has also been steadily increasing.

3.5 AHP analysis

3.5.1 Evaluation index system construction

After analyzing both the internal and external factors that influence the construction of urban landscapes and the development of tourism in Hefei, we created an evaluation system to assess its sustainable development. Specifically, this evaluation system focuses on the hierarchical model of Hefei’s urban landscape construction and tourism development strategy. It considers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of this development as the criteria for evaluation. Additionally, the indicator layer includes factors such as transportation strengths, resource strengths, and urban landscape strengths. Finally, the strategy layer consists of four strategies, including the growth strategy and reversal strategy, which form the hierarchical model for Hefei’s urban landscape construction and tourism development strategy (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2 Evaluation index system of urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei

3.5.2 Constructing a judgment matrix to determine system weights

The Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism development strategy hierarchy model consists of four main parts: the target layer, criterion layer, indicator layer, and strategy layer. To determine the importance of each factor in the guideline and indicator layers, a random consultation and research were conducted with 10 experts who have extensive experience in ecology, tourism management, and horticulture in Hefei. These experts were consulted to score the relative importance of each factor in the guideline and indicator layers, and the average scores were used as the main data for judging the importance of the indicators. The weight of each indicator was then calculated using AHP hierarchical analysis. The maximum eigenvalue, Consistent Index (CI), and Consistent Ratio (CR) of each judgment matrix were calculated to assess consistency. If CR<0.1, the consistency test has passed. The results of the calculations showed that the CR values for A (0.0042), S (0), W (0.0331), O (0.007), and T (0.001) were all less than 0.1, indicating that each judgment matrix in this study passed the consistency test (Table 1).
Table 1 Judgment matrix and consistency test for each factor layer
Factor layer Judgment matrix Weight λmax CI CR Consistency test
Evaluation layer A = 1 3 1 / 1.5 5 1 / 3 1 1 / 5     2 1.5 1 / 5 5 1 / 2 1 1 / 7       7 1 0.3281
0.1115
0.4966
0.0638		 4.011 0.0037 0.0042 Pass
Strength S = 1 1.25 2 4 6 1 / 1.25 1 1.6 3 5 1 / 2 1 / 1.6 1 2 3 1 / 4 1 / 3 1 / 2 1 1.5 1 / 6 1 / 5 1 / 3 1 / 1.5 1 0.3686
0.2933
0.1842
0.0933
0.0606		 5.001 0 0 Pass
Weakness W = 1 1 / 4 3 1 / 3 4 1 6 2 1 / 3 1 / 6 1 1 / 4 3 1 / 2 4 1 0.1347
0.5016
0.0654
0.2983		 4.0875 0.0292 0.0331 Pass
Opportunity O = 1 3 1.25 1.25 5.98 2 1 / 3 1 1 / 3 1 / 3 1.25 0.67 0.8 3 1 1 3 1.43 0.8 3 1 1 3 1.43 1 / 5.98 0.8 1 / 3 1 / 3 1 1 / 3 1 / 2 1.5 0.7 0.7 3 1 0.2838
0.0812
0.2139
0.2139
0.0598
0.1474		 6.044 0.0088 0.007 Pass
Threat T = 1 1.25 6 3 2 0.8 1 5 2 1.6 1 / 6 1 / 5 1 1 / 2 1 / 3 1 / 3 1 / 2 2 1 1 / 1.5 1 / 2 0.625 3 1.5 1 0.3586
0.2789
0.0593
0.1239
0.1793		 5.005 0.001 0.001 Pass

3.5.3 Determine portfolio weights and weighted scores

Based on the Delphi method, we evaluated the impact of various factors on urban landscape construction and tourism development strategies in Hefei. The intensity of influence was divided into nine levels, ranging from -4 to 4, where the strengths and opportunities were positive and the weaknesses and threats were negative. The absolute value of the rating indicated the magnitude of the influence (Li and Liu, 2019; Pi et al., 2022). After analyzing the data, we found that the intergroup weights in the development of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei were as follows (Table 2): opportunities (0.4966) > strengths (0.3281) > weaknesses (0.1115) > threats (0.0638). The most significant opportunity was the development opportunity resulting from national macroeconomic policies, with a comprehensive weight of 0.1409. The most important strength was favorable transportation strength, with a comprehensive weight of 0.1209. The most significant weakness was the ecological problem, with a comprehensive weight of 0.0559. The most important threat was the surrounding scenic strengths, with a comprehensive weight of 0.0229 (Table 2).
Table 2 Combined weights and weighted scores of evaluation index system of the urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei
Target layer Criterion layer Within-group weights Indicator layer Within-group weights Combined weights Factor
score		 Weighted score
Sustainable
development of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei, China		 Strength 0.3281 S1 Transportation strengths 0.3686 0.1209 4 0.4836
S2 Resources strengths 0.2933 0.0962 3 0.2886
S3 Urban landscape strengths 0.1842 0.0604 2 0.1208
S4 Forest management reform 0.0933 0.0306 1 0.0306
S5 Constructing legal institutions 0.0606 0.0199 1 0.0199
Weakness 0.1115 W1 Inadequate landscaping 0.1347 0.0150 -2 -0.03
W2 Ecological problem 0.5016 0.0559 -4 -0.2236
W3 Landscaping lacks character 0.0654 0.0073 -1 -0.0073
W4 Weak infrastructure, etc. 0.2983 0.0333 -3 -0.0999
Opportunity 0.4966 O1 National macroeconomic policies 0.2838 0.1409 3 0.4227
O2 Tourism market 0.0812 0.0403 1 0.0403
O3 Government attention 0.2139 0.1062 2 0.2124
O4 Urban development requirements 0.2139 0.1062 2 0.2124
O5 Surrounding tourism resources 0.0598 0.0297 1 0.0297
O6 Digitalization and intelligent city development 0.1474 0.0732 2 0.1464
Threat 0.0638 T1 Surrounding scenic strengths 0.3586 0.0229 -4 -0.0916
T2 Environmental protection and development 0.2789 0.0178 -3 -0.0534
T3 Threat of economic downturn 0.0593 0.0039 -1 -0.0039
T4 Impact of COVID-19 0.1239 0.0079 -2 -0.0158
T5 Urban landscape requirements 0.1793 0.0114 -2 -0.0228

3.6 Development strategy analysis

Based on the results of the hierarchical model weights, the total strengths and weaknesses of the strategy were as follows: total strength S = 2.0678, total weakness W = -0.6002, total opportunities O = 1.4743, and total threat T = -0.2703. To analyze these factors, we used a four-quadrant coordinate system with strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as the semi-axis variables. By locating the total strengths and weaknesses in this coordinate system, we connected them and created a strategic assessment matrix diagram. From this diagram, we calculated the coordinates of the strategic center of gravity and the strategic azimuthal values. In this case, the center of gravity coordinates of the strategy assessment matrix diagram was P (x, y) = P (0.1457, 0.2191), and the azimuth of the strategy angle (θ) was 38.09°, determined from the coordinates of the P point.
By analyzing the strategic intensity coefficient, we can further determine the development strategy. Based on the weighted scores of each factor in Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism development, we calculated the positive strategy intensity (U = 1.0038), negative strategy intensity (V = 0.0677), and strategic intensity coefficient (ρ = 0.9368). According to the coordinates of the center of gravity and the azimuthal angle (θ) of the interval, it is determined that the development of Hefei urban landscape construction and tourism development should adopt a positive-growth development strategy (Fig. 3) and fully exploit internal strengths while actively utilizing external opportunities.
Fig. 3 Sustainable development strategic matrix of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei

4 Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first SWOT-AHP analysis of urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei. A recent study on Hefei’s landscape plants is a comprehensive evaluation of introduced landscape plants in Hefei based on AHP analysis (Chen and Xu, 2021). We constructed the SWOT-AHP model to analyze the sustainable development of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei. By examining both the overall and partial perspectives, we find that Hefei’s urban landscape construction and tourism development have various aspects to consider. The most important strength is the favorable transportation. However, the most significant weakness is the ecological problem. Additionally, national macroeconomic policies bring potential development opportunities, but the threat lies in competing with nearby scenic spots that have already been developed. Therefore, an active growth-type development strategy is necessary for urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei. In light of this, we propose four novel strategies for the sustainable development of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei, China.
(1) SO strategy: Seize the opportunity and utilize the strengths
Hefei should seize the development opportunities presented by national macroeconomic policies and the digital and intelligent construction of the landscape city. By leveraging the reform of the forest management system in Anhui Province, Hefei should fully utilize its political, location, talent, and resource strengths to formulate a comprehensive development strategy for landscape construction and tourism. With the support of governments at all levels, Hefei should tap into its tourism resources and develop diverse tourism products that integrate leisure, entertainment, recreation, and education. Projects such as landscape recreation experiences, science education bases, and cultural experiences can be developed and built. Additionally, conducting a city residents’ satisfaction survey can help improve and enhance the supporting infrastructure and services for landscape construction, creating a unique landscape ecotourism brand. Hefei may also use its advantage in higher education to improve the urban greening pattern, promote the digitalization of landscape construction, and enhance the quality and level of landscape construction, aiming to become a national ecological landscape city.
(2) ST strategy: Capitalize on strengths and neutralize threats
The strength of the geographical strength, talent strength, and resource strength of landscape construction in Hefei is guided by ecological theory, improving the ecological function of landscape construction and insisting on protective development. In-depth research and solutions to landscape building management and technical issues, exploration of the diverse development modes of urban landscapes, and exploration of novel modes, processes, and paths of territorial greening. In terms of tourism development, it is necessary to guide tourism enterprises in an orderly manner, scientifically guide their return to work and business, release demand and cultivate kinetic energy in the post-epidemic era, and comprehensively promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry.
(3) WO strategy: Capitalizing on opportunities and filling gaps
First, Hefei should capitalize on its new status as a first-tier city in China and draw upon the expertise of landscape construction and management in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. This will allow for the formulation and enhancement of the legal and regulatory systems for landscape construction and tourism development. Second, there should be an emphasis on promoting urban landscape construction, fostering a sense of social participation among residents, and improving the distribution of urban greening. This will facilitate the integration of landscape construction with the city. Last, the functions of landscape construction in improving the environment, providing recreational and leisure opportunities, and serving as emergency shelters should be fully utilized. This will address various ecological issues in Hefei’s urban development and elevate the distinctive nature of landscape construction in Hefei through diverse landscaping techniques.
(4) WT strategy: Weakness reduction and threat avoidance
By enhancing the layout of urban landscapes to address the issue of insufficient integration of landscape construction with the city, emphasis is given to the excavation of the city’s distinctive humanistic legacy during the urban development process and its application to landscape construction. The interaction between protection and development should be better coordinated, and the landscape construction of infrastructure and the level of landscape management should be improved.

5 Conclusions

In this study, we constructed the SWOT-AHP model to analyze the sustainable development of urban landscape construction and tourism in Hefei. We found that the opportunities (0.4966) > strengths (0.3281) > weaknesses (0.1115) > threats (0.0638) of urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei. Specifically, the most important strength was favorable transportation. However, the most significant weakness was the ecological problem. Additionally, national macroeconomic policies bring potential development opportunities, but the threat lies in competing with nearby scenic spots that have already been developed. We also calculated the strategic center of gravity coordinates P (x, y) = (0.1457, 0.2191) and the strategic strength coefficient ρ = 0.9368. Therefore, an active growth-type development strategy is necessary for urban landscape construction and tourism development in Hefei. Finally, we propose corresponding development strategies to provide a reference for promoting Hefei’s urban landscape construction and high-quality development of the tourism industry in future.

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