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Spatial and Temporal Differentiation of the Tourism Water Footprint in Mainland China and Its Influencing Factors

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  • Zhenquan Xiao

    (Key Laboratory of the Sustainable Development of Xinjiang’s Historical and Cultural Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
    School of Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830049, China)

  • Polat Muhtar

    (Key Laboratory of the Sustainable Development of Xinjiang’s Historical and Cultural Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
    School of Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830049, China)

  • Wenxiu Huo

    (Anshan Vocational and Technical College, Anshan Normal University, Anshan 114000, China)

  • Chaogao An

    (Key Laboratory of the Sustainable Development of Xinjiang’s Historical and Cultural Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
    School of Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830049, China)

  • Ling Yang

    (School of Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830049, China)

  • Fengrong Zhang

    (School of Tourism, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830049, China)

Abstract

While tourism generates economic benefits at destinations, it also creates certain environmental pressures. In the global context of water scarcity, the spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics of water consumption at tourism destinations have become a focus of attention. Based on panel data, the present study calculates the change trends in China’s tourism water footprint ( TWF ) in the 2013–2018 period using input-output analysis, analyses the regional differences in TWF changes using kernel density estimation and the Theil index, and investigates the driving factors of the spatial and temporal differentiation of the TWF using the logarithmic mean Divisia index model. The results indicate that (1) the tourism water consumption in China increased year-by-year but that the tourism water use efficiency improved; (2) the proportion of the TWF for accommodation and food in the total TWF gradually increased, while the proportion of the TWF for transportation continuously decreased; (3) the TWF of each region increased continuously, with the absolute difference between regions gradually increasing and the difference in the TWF intensity gradually decreasing; and (4) decomposition analysis showed that the TWF in China was positively driven by per capita expenditure and the number of tourists, with the role of TWF intensity shifting from inhibition to promotion, and that each driving force changed with time. Based on the spatial and temporal differences in the TWF , the provinces in China are divided into five categories, and targeted countermeasures and suggestions are proposed.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhenquan Xiao & Polat Muhtar & Wenxiu Huo & Chaogao An & Ling Yang & Fengrong Zhang, 2021. "Spatial and Temporal Differentiation of the Tourism Water Footprint in Mainland China and Its Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10396-:d:637873
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    References listed on IDEAS

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