Urban–Rural Integration Empowers High-Quality Development of Tourism Economy: Mechanism and Empirical Evidence

Urban–rural integration has become an effective way to promote the high-quality development of the tourism economy in China’s policy evolution. Based on provincial panel data for China for the last ten years, this paper measured the high-quality-development level of the tourism economy based on multi-dimensional indicators, including by empirically analyzing the influence mechanisms in urban–rural integration. We found that urban–rural integration has a positive empowering effect on the high-quality development of the tourism economy as a whole, with the integration of urban and rural areas in the central and eastern regions playing a considerable role; however, its role in the western region is not obvious. This was shown through an analysis of the mediating effect by which urban–rural integration empowers the high-quality development of the tourism economy by improving residents’ income levels. However, urban–rural integration does not empower the high-quality development of the tourism economy through technological innovation, which instead has a covering effect. This paper makes suggestions on three levels: country, region, and enterprise. Firstly, at the national level, we suggest strengthening the overall planning for the high-quality development of the tourism economy, as well as improving its construction system. Secondly, at the regional level, governments at all levels should emphasize the functional differences between urban and rural areas and regional characteristics. Finally, at the enterprise level, enterprises in the western region should seize the opportunities provided by urban–rural integration.