Search Results (16)

High-density cities have obvious characteristics of compact urban spatial form and intensive land use in terms of spatial environment, and have always been a topic of academic focus. As a typical coastal historical district, the Macau Peninsula pier district (mainly the Macau Inner Harbour) has a high building density and a low average street width, forming a vertical coastline development model that directly converses with the ocean. This area is adjacent to Macau’s World Heritage Site and directly related to the Marine trade functions. The distribution pattern of cultural heritage linked by the ocean has strengthened Macau’s unique positioning as a node city on the Maritime Silk Road. This text is based on the theory of urban development, integrates spatial syntax and POI analysis techniques, and combines the theories of waterfront regeneration, high-density urban form and post-industrial urbanism to integrate and deepen the theoretical framework, and conduct a systematic study on the urban spatial characteristics of the coastal area of the Macau Peninsula. This study found that (1) Catering and shopping facilities present a dual agglomeration mechanism of “tourism-driven + commercial core”, with Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro as the main axis and radiating to the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Praça de Ponte e Horta, respectively. Historical blocks and tourist hotspots clearly guide the spatial center of gravity. (2) Residential and life service facilities are highly coupled, reflecting the spatial logic of “work-residence integration-service coordination”. The distribution of life service facilities basically overlaps with the high-density residential area, forming an obvious “living circle + community unit” structure with clear spatial boundaries. (3) Commercial and transportation facilities form a “functional axis belt” organizational structure along the main road, with the Rua das Lorchas—Rua do Almirante Sérgio axis as the skeleton, constructing a “functional transmission chain”. (4) The spatial system of the Macau Peninsula pier district has transformed from a single center to a multi-node, network-linked structure. Its internal spatial differentiation is not only constrained by traditional land use functions but is also driven by complex factors such as tourism economy, residential migration, historical protection, and infrastructure accessibility. (5) Through the analysis of space syntax, it is found that the core integration of the Macau Peninsula pier district is concentrated near Pier 16 and the northern area. The two main roads have good accessibility for motor vehicle travel, and the northern area of the Macau Peninsula pier district has good accessibility for long and short-distance walking. Full article

The integration of digitalization with public tourism services has emerged as a new model for the development of the rural tourism public services. The Silk Road Economic Belt is a crucial area for the future development of the tourism industry. Exploring the coupling of the digitalization and the development trends of the rural tourism public services is significant for advancing rural tourism in this region. This study applies Complex Adaptive Systems theory and Synergy theory to the development of the digitization of rural tourism public services, clarifying the structure of the digitization of the rural tourism public service system. Based on this, a collaborative development evaluation system for the digitization of rural tourism public services is constructed, focusing on the Silk Road Economic Belt. By using the SMI-P evaluation model, ArcGIS spatial visualization, Gini coefficient, and kernel density methods, the collaborative development of the digitization of the rural tourism public service system was measured and analyzed in this paper. The findings reveal the following: (1) The collaborative development of the digitization of the rural tourism public service system in the Silk Road Economic Belt shows a gradual upward trend, yet the overall level of the collaboration is transitioning from a state of imbalance. (2) Compared to the Southwest, the Northwest exhibits a lower overall level of collaboration, with growing disparities in collaborative development indices among provinces, although there is a trend toward higher levels of aggregation. (3) The development of the rural tourism public services is trending toward a favorable state of multi-dimensional collaboration, characterized by significant regional features, including multi-polarization and unbalanced development. Finally, optimization paths for the digital development of the rural tourism public services were proposed in this study, which can provide guidance for improving the construction of the digitization of the rural tourism public service system and exploring clear development pathways. Full article

There is limited analysis of the role of tourism in rural revitalization (RR) from a high-quality development perspective. To address this gap, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal patterns and coupling coordination degree (CCD) of tourism high-quality development (THD) and RR in the Silk Road Economic Belt from 2011 to 2020 using coupling coordination and gravity models. A geographic detector is employed to quantitatively elucidate the factors influencing the CCD. The findings are as follows. (1) The comprehensive RR level increased 86% from 2011 to 2020, whereas the THD level first increased and then decreased. The southwest region outperformed the northwest in RR and THD levels. (2) The CCD between RR and THD displayed various degrees of increase, with a spatial pattern of higher levels in the southwest and lower levels in the northwest. The spatial linkage strength of the CCD first increased and then decreased, with tighter linkages among the southwestern provinces. (3) Public fiscal expenditure, per capita GDP, and science and education spending significantly affected the CCD. In conclusion, the effective coordination of THD and RR requires a focus on their spatiotemporal coupling characteristics and the joint regulation of multiple factors. Full article

The advent of the Metaverse, a convergence of virtual and physical realities, presents unprecedented opportunities for promoting cultural tourism along the historic Silk Roads within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. However, this emerging technology’s potential remains largely unexplored in the context of cultural heritage preservation and its promotion. The aim of this study is to address this gap by empirically examining how the Metaverse can be harnessed to improve tourists’ experiences, support sustainable tourism development, and promote cultural exchange along the Silk Roads. In this study, we employed a mixed-methods approach grounded in attribution theory, using both surveys and semi-structured interviews with Silk Road tourists who had been exposed to Metaverse applications. To investigate the relationships between Metaverse features, tourists’ attributions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions, we used structural equation modeling and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that perceived immersion, avatar identification, and cultural authenticity significantly influenced tourists’ internal, stable, and controllable attributions. Interviews further highlighted the Metaverse’s potential to promote accessibility, interpretation, and engagement with Silk Road heritage, while also raising sociocultural and ethical considerations. This paper also showcases the development of Metaverse digital twin prototypes for several iconic Silk Road cities to demonstrate the potential for participatory virtual environments to promote cultural heritage preservation, accessibility, and sustainable tourism. The study’s findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of Metaverse tourism and the application of attribution theory, offering practical insight for the responsible and effective harnessing of this transformative technology. This research provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, destination managers, and technology providers to optimize the Metaverse’s potential for cultural tourism along the Silk Roads. This has great potential in promoting the BRI’s connectivity and cooperation objectives. This paper lays the foundation for future research and responsible innovation at the intersection of emerging technologies, cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism development. Full article

This study aims to examine the determinants of destination loyalty toward World Heritage Sites (WHSs) along Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. It could enable the profiling of inbound tourists visiting WHSs and identification of the important determinants of destination loyalty. The results of this study could present valuable empirical evidence of Silk Road tourism among inbound travelers in Uzbekistan. An online survey was conducted to collect data from U.S. residents who experienced Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. A total of 419 questionnaires were used for this study. The present study explored the determinants of destination loyalty among inbound travelers who had visited WHSs along Silk Road destinations in Uzbekistan. Regarding the effect of length of stay on destination loyalty, travelers who visit for 7–13 days are inclined to show higher destination loyalty than the other groups. Free independent travelers to cultural and heritage sites showed a higher level of destination loyalty than other traveler types. The results indicated that travelers who reported visiting the Historic Centre of Bukhara in the Province of Bukhara and Western Tien-Shan in the Province of Tashkent showed higher destination loyalty. The proposed model consists of travel characteristics, WHS destinations, and demographic characteristics. This study provides several important theoretical and managerial implications. Moreover, this study can contribute to knowledge regarding WHSs and increase sustainable destination management to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Full article

The adaptive evolution of cultural ecosystems is a distinctive process along the Silk Road in China, involving the transitional interaction of nature and culture. This study aims to provide theoretical recommendations for the management of cultural heritage sites along the Silk Road to assess the values and keep the balance between tourism development and cultural heritage protection. The paper focuses on 22 cultural sites in western China to study the adaptive evolution pattern of cultural landscapes along the Silk Road with landscape changes and the transmission patterns of modern cultural tourism. Based on relevant literature reviews, historical maps, and geomorphological maps, the factors influencing the evolution of the cultural ecosystem are explored. We present both the theoretical and managerial implications: the cultural heritage of the urban areas can vigorously develop the cultural tourism with a high degree of industrialization, suburban areas can boost up traditional tourism product routes. We also assume that the degree of development of cultural tourism depends on the cultural ecosystem service and the environmental status of the cultural landscape. Full article

Tourism is currently one of the important development industries in many countries and regions, and a healthy environment is an important basis and carrier for the sustainable development of the tourism economy. Ensuring a harmonious relationship between tourism, the economy, and the environment has become one of the keys to achieving sustainable development of tourism destinations. Based on panel data on tourism, the economy, and the environment from nine provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt from 2015 to 2019, this study has built a comprehensive evaluation index system of the tourism–economy–ecological environment (TEE). The entropy evaluation method, comprehensive evaluation model, and coupling and coordination degree model were used for quantitative analysis of the coordination development level and for assessing the spatial–temporal evolution patterns of coupling coordination for the TEE system in nine provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt. The results show that the value of the TEE system is generally on the rise. Still, the growth rate of tourism and the economy subsystem is significantly higher than that of the environment subsystem. The coupling coordinating the development of the TEE system shows an increasing trend with a high degree of coupling. The coordination degree is relatively low, with significant gradient differences and apparent polarization. The main constraint to the coordinated development of the Silk Road Economic Belt is tourism and the economy. Full article

Currently, urbanization driven by global capital flows entails a main trend in many large cites in China, while global capital investment in small inland cities especially in western China is extremely scarce, where their globalization characters the powerful nationalization power and market activation. Dunhuang, a small inland city in western China, has transformed successfully from an agricultural county to an international tourist city, a platform for worldwide cultural communication, and a node city in the Belt and Road region because of its unique and brilliant resources: Mogao Grottoes and Dunhuangology. Therefore, this paper develops a conceptual framework of the multiple cooperative mechanisms and globalization path (MCMGP) of Dunhuang, elaborating the process of industrial transformation, urban globalization, and multiple cooperative mechanisms between government and market actors based on interviewing records and statistics. Findings show that the MCMGP features government-led intervention, resource orientation, and centralization that embodies the driver of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Also, the MCM in Dunhuang’s globalization contains the mechanism of enrolment, mobilization and action, governance and global marketing, distributed in the two phases. Equally important, in response to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo (SRDICE) from the state, the city government has significantly reinvested and refined cultural tourism via governance mechanisms, carving out a key node city in the Silk Road and elevating an international tourist city. Environmentally, Dunhuang’s tourism internationalization enhances the process of the development of a sustainable shared mobility industry. Furthermore, its tourism development and social–ecology system maintain the synergistic relationships which international tourism promotes such as urban ecosystem and public welfare and in turn, social–ecological enhancement serve Dunhuang’s international tourism well. Practical implications of how Dunhuang’s experience may have lessons for others are discussed in China’s peculiar socialist market economy discourse. Full article

Taking nine provinces and cities along the ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’ as an example, this paper constructs an evaluation index system of the coupling coordination degree of the tourism–transportation–ecological environment system (TTE system), analyzes the spatial–temporal evolution and regional differences of the coupling coordination level of the TTE system from 2004 to 2016 using the mean square error index model and the scissor difference model, and uses the EKC curve model to further verify the interactive relationship between the tourism economy and the ecological environment. The results show the following. (1) The comprehensive evaluation values of the tourism subsystem and transportation subsystem are on an overall upward trend and the comprehensive evaluation value of the ecological environment subsystem is in constant flux. (2) The coupling coordination degree of the TTE system generally develops in a good coordination direction, but the conversion rate of the coupling coordination degree of each province is different. (3) Regarding the north–south region divergence, the degree of coupling and coordination within the region is “strong in the south and weak in the north”. (4) The tourism subsystem and the transportation subsystem are interdependent and mutually restrictive. (5) There is a strong correlation between tourism, economic growth, and environmental quality, but in most provinces, the relationship between them does not accord with the inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve. Full article

In spite of picturesque landscapes, natural beauties and authentic traditional lifestyles to be seen in East Kazakhstan, tourism is far from being developed. The Kazakh Altai (called the Kazakh Switzerland) is one the most colourful parts of the country and, indeed, all Central Asia. The attractiveness of this geographically isolated region (formerly a part of the Imperial Russia), consisting of rocky semi-deserts, vast parkland-steppes, and rugged mountain terrains, is reflected in its distinctive geological and geomorphological character, its pristine nature, and its extraordinary geodiversity and biodiversity. This study presents a roster of geotourism and ecotourism loci for the broader Altai area within a framework of sustainable development. The modelled assessment of the tourism and recreation potential is based upon multi-proxy analyses of GIS, DEM, and cartographic data. It integrates the most appealing natural (biotic and abiotic) site-specific natural features across all physiographic zones within a broad region. The most significant and representative geosites fall within three geographic sectors suitable for geo- and ecotourism. Prospects for travel to these places are enhanced by the presence of numerous prehistoric archaeological sites and historical monuments, which document the rich, multi-ethnic background of Kazakhstan and the ancient Silk Road that traverses it. These geological, environmental and cultural resources, and the regional geoheritage and environmental conservation concepts have been figured into strategies for economic growth of rural Kazakhstan. Visitors travelling to this most appealing region are constrained by climate of pronounced continentality, seasonality, geographic accessibility, the international border-zone regulations and a lack of services of an international standard. Full article

This study explored the relationships between destination attractiveness, satisfaction, the sense of reliving, and loyalty among American tourists who had experienced Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. In addition, this study investigated the mediating role of the sense of reliving with regard to satisfaction and loyalty. A total of 477 respondents participated and were used for the final analysis. The results suggest that destination attractiveness includes multidimensional constructs consisting of five dimensions, namely, cultural attractiveness, natural attractiveness, the local people and superstructure, infrastructure, and price attractiveness. Cultural attractiveness, the warm hospitality of local people, and the superstructure appear to be the competitive attributes of Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan affecting tourist satisfaction. Furthermore, the results reveal that tourist satisfaction increases loyalty. A mediating role of the sense of reliving with regard to satisfaction and loyalty was also confirmed. Tourists remember their travel experiences upon returning home, relive Silk Road travel experiences, and demonstrate their behavioral intentions. These findings can provide a deeper understanding of destination attractiveness and memorable experiences for increasing loyalty to destinations related to Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. Full article

Cultural heritage, considered as a tool for sustainable tourism development and place branding, makes a destination appealing to visitors; hence, cultural heritage tourism can be a driving force for economic growth in cities and regions. Polycentricity is a useful multi-scalar concept in spatial theory that describes how adjacent urban centers can interact with each other, creating synergies and generating broader spatial networks. Cultural heritage and tourism, perceived as important factors of integration in a polycentric spatial structure, can further promote regional branding strategies. In this paper, a polycentricity index is introduced as a methodological tool for networking cultural heritage destinations, with an application to the Silk Road heritage. Silk Road cultural assets traced on the historical Silk Road routes linking East and West, can serve as tourist attraction poles and as an essential component for branding destinations through networking at various spatial scales. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Northern Greece, endowed with a plethora of Silk Road cultural assets, most of which are still untapped, is used to highlight the proposed methodology. The ultimate objective is the designation of polycentric destination networks based on Silk Road assets, in order to build regional branding opportunities over the Region. Full article

Mangroves are important ecosystems and their distribution and dynamics can provide an understanding of the processes of ecological change. Meanwhile, mangroves protection is also an important element of the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) Cooperation Project. Large amounts of accessible satellite remote sensing data can provide timely and accurate information on the dynamics of mangroves, offering significant advantages in space, time, and characterization. In view of the capability of deep learning in processing massive data in recent years, we developed a new deep learning model—Capsules-Unet, which introduces the capsule concept into U-net to extract mangroves with high accuracy by learning the spatial relationship between objects in images. This model can significantly reduce the number of network parameters to improve the efficiency of data processing. This study uses Landsat data combined with Capsules-Unet to map the dynamics of mangrove changes over the 25 years (1990–2015) along the MSR. The results show that there was a loss in the mangrove area of 1,356,686 ha (about 21.5%) between 1990 and 2015, with anthropic activities such as agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, urban development, and over-development appearing to be the likely drivers of this decline. This information contributes to the understanding of ecological conditions, variability characteristics, and influencing factors along the MSR. Full article

With the approach of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the ski tourism market in mainland China is gradually heating up. As an important node city of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Urumqi is vigorously developing winter tourism to enhance its image as an urban tourism spot. In this study, visitors to the Urumqi Silk Road International Ski Resort during the winter were taken as the research object, and a quantitative study was carried out using a questionnaire survey. 278 questionnaires were recovered. A model of tourism motivation, satisfaction and revisit intention based on the push-pull factor was constructed, and the relationship among the three was verified by structural equation modelling. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and can reference suggestions for the development of ski tourism in destination cities and the strategic marketing of ski resorts. Full article

Authenticity is a controversial concept in heritage studies. This is particularly the case where the reconstruction of heritage spaces is carried out to facilitate multiple objectives, namely, preservation, tourism development and improving the quality of life of local residents. Based on a qualitative methodology with a case study approach, this paper uses participant observation, in-depth interviews and textual analysis to explore the varying perceptions of authenticity for a reconstructed heritage site from the point of view of heritage experts, tourists and local residents. We identify a form of ‘relational authenticity’. Using the Dingding Gate, part of the Luoyang World Heritage section of the Silk Road, this paper highlights the phenomenon of ‘reconstructed heritage space’ with the relational authenticity of different actors in the Chinese context. We argue that relational authenticity is embedded in the networks between people, place, and (re)materialized space, which is the assemblage of excavated original objects and reconstructed buildings and spaces. Relational authenticity is acquired through a rematerializing process engaged by actors, who focus on the material qualities, instead of material authenticity and originality, of the original excavated objects and later reconstructed space. Full article