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Arid Land Geography ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (12): 2074-2085.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.193

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Comprehensive measurement and influencing factors of carbon emission efficiency of tourism in the Yellow River Basin

DU Yaming(),BAI Yongping(),LIANG Jianshe,ZHANG Chunyue,JING Linxiang,WANG Liguo,ZOU Jiacheng   

  1. College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2023-04-28 Revised:2023-06-23 Online:2023-12-25 Published:2024-01-05

Abstract:

The quantification and assessment of carbon emission efficiency and its influencing factors in the tourism sector are crucial for advancing environmentally-friendly development in the tourism economy of Yellow River Basin, China. This study develops an input-output table for evaluating the carbon emission efficiency of tourism. In addition to traditional factors such as capital, labor, and energy, we incorporate technological innovation. The desired output is the total tourism revenue, while the non-desired output is the carbon emission during tourism, integrated into the Super-Slack-Based Measure (SBM). Employing the Malmquist-Luenberger index and the kernel density estimation method, we analyzed tourism carbon emission efficiency from both static and dynamic perspectives. Furthermore, we established a spatial Durbin model to examine spatial spillover effects. Our results revealed the following: (1) During 2000—2019, the carbon emission efficiency of tourism in the Yellow River Basin initially experienced an upward fluctuation followed by a subsequent downward trend. Provinces and regions exhibited a diminishing difference, with a spatial distribution pattern that indicated lower efficiency in the west and higher efficiency in the east. (2) Regarding dynamic efficiency, both the Malmquist-Luenberger index and kernel density estimation trends indicated a weakening polarization phenomenon in carbon emission efficiency. Technological progress significantly contributed to changes in the tourism industry’s carbon emission efficiency. (3) Influencing factors that include positive spillover effects from environmental regulation and urbanization, enhanced local tourism carbon emission efficiency. Conversely, industrial structure, openness, technology level, and tourism industry agglomeration were found to have adverse effects. Economic development levels hindered the improvement of carbon emission efficiency in tourism; however, they exhibited a notable positive spillover effect on surrounding regions. These findings aim to establish a theoretical foundation for governments to formulate targeted policies for energy-saving and carbon-emission reduction in the tourism sector.

Key words: tourism carbon emission efficiency, Super-SBM, spatial Durbin model, Yellow River Basin