Abstract:

Agritainments and scenic areas are critical tourism distribution centers, and their coordinated accessibility is vital for high-quality tourism development. This study examines typical tourism distribution centers in Xinjiang, China, using the accessibility model, the entropy weight-TOPSIS approach, coupling coordination model, the geographic concentration index, and local Moran’s I. It evaluates the accessibility level, the coupling coordination degree, and spatial distribution characteristics of agritainments and scenic areas in Xinjiang in 2022. The results indicated that: (1) Scenic areas had superior accessibility compared to agritainments. Regions with low accessibility values were primarily concentrated in southern Xinjiang, forming clusters in Hotan Prefecture, Kashi Prefecture, and Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, exhibiting a zonal distribution pattern. (2) The coupling coordination degree of accessibility was lower in peripheral regions of Xinjiang. Overall, the coupling coordination level of comprehensive accessibility for agritainments and scenic areas was high, following a “low periphery and high center” trend. (3) In terms of spatial aggregation, the coupling coordination degree showed a clustered distribution. High-high aggregation areas were centered around Urumqi City and its urban agglomeration, while low-low aggregation areas were concentrated in southern Xinjiang and near territorial boundaries, highlighting a “polarization” effect with a “double-positive correlation” pattern. This study enriches the understanding of coordinated development in tourism distribution centers and provides a foundation for achieving high-quality tourism development in Xinjiang.

Key words: rural tourism, scenic spot, comprehensive achievable level, coupling coordination, distribution of space, Xinjiang