Search Results (130)

Algal blooms pose a serious threat not only to the lake ecosystem of Lake Bosten but also by negatively impacting its rapidly developing fisheries and tourism industries. This study focuses on Lake Bosten as the research area and utilizes multi-source remote sensing imagery from Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI. The Adjusted Floating Algae Index (AFAI) was employed to extract algal blooms in Lake Bosten from 2004 to 2023, analyze their spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and driving factors, and construct a Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network model to predict the spatial distribution of algal-bloom frequency. The stability of the model was assessed through temporal segmentation of historical data combined with temporal cross-validation. The results indicate that (1) during the study period, algal blooms in Lake Bosten were predominantly of low-risk level, with low-risk bloom coverage accounting for over 8% in both 2004 and 2005. The intensity of algal blooms in summer and autumn was significantly higher than in spring. The coverage of medium- and high-risk blooms reached 2.74% in the summer of 2004 and 3.03% in the autumn of 2005, while remaining below 1% in spring. (2) High-frequency algal bloom areas were mainly located in the western and northwestern parts of the lake, and the central region experienced significantly more frequent blooms during 2004–2013 compared to 2014–2023, particularly in spring and summer. (3) The LSTM model achieved an R² of 0.86, indicating relatively stable performance. The prediction results suggest a continued low frequency of algal blooms in the future, reflecting certain achievements in sustainable water-resource management. (4) The interactions among meteorological factors exhibited significant influence on bloom formation, with the q values of temperature and precipitation interactions both exceeding 0.5, making them the most prominent meteorological driving factors. Monitoring of sewage discharge and analysis of agricultural and industrial expansion revealed that human activities have a more direct impact on the water quality of Lake Bosten. In addition, changes in lake area and water environment were mainly influenced by anthropogenic factors, ultimately making human activities the primary driving force behind the spatiotemporal variations of algal blooms. This study improved the timeliness of algal-bloom monitoring through the integration of multi-source remote sensing and successfully predicted the future spatial distribution of bloom frequency, providing a scientific basis and decision-making support for the sustainable management of water resources in Lake Bosten. Full article

The Great Wall’s heritage, as an iconic symbol of traditional Chinese culture, has fostered prosperous development of the surrounding tourism industry. As a representative of linear cultural heritage, the Great Wall traverses mountainous regions and stretches thousands of kilometers. Given challenges such as climate change, complex geological conditions, and excessive tourism development, safeguarding the Great Wall’s heritage for sustainable tourism development is a pressing concern. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the interaction between ecological resilience and tourism development and to provide a coordinated spatial strategy for the sustainable management of Great Wall towns. From the perspective of ecological safety and resilience, this study focuses on towns located along the Beijing section of the Great Wall. Based on the foundational principles of ecological resilience assessment, an evaluation framework was established to assess the ecological resilience and tourism development levels of these towns during peak tourism periods. Furthermore, we applied a coupling coordination degree model to determine the relationship between ecological safety and resilience subsystems and tourism development. The analysis revealed the ecological safety, ecological resilience, and tourism development levels and their interrelationships in these towns. The assessment identified relatively safer areas such as the Gubeikou Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, and adjacent tourism towns, revealing the interrelationships among these elements. We not only identified areas with certain ecological risks but also those exhibiting middle ecological resilience capacities, such as the Shuiguan Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, and Jiuyanlou Great Wall, recommending moderate tourism development in these regions. For every town, this study also calculated the average and maximum values of the coupling coordination degree to guide future ecological construction and tourism strategies. Finally, we offer insights into the present state of ecological development in the studied regions and propose strategies to bolster ecological resilience and optimize spatial tourism layouts. Full article

Investigating the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) holds significant implications for achieving the sustainable operation of human–environment systems. However, limited research has focused on ES-HWB interactions in ecotourism-dominated counties. To address this gap, this study takes Chun’an County in Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study, with the research objective of exploring the processes, patterns, and mechanisms of the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) in ecotourism-dominated counties. By integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, including land use data, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and statistical records, and employing methods such as the dynamic equivalent factor method, the PLUS model, the coupling coordination degree model, and comprehensive evaluation, we analyzed the synergistic evolution of ES-HWB in Chun’an County from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) the ecosystem service value (ESV) fluctuated between 30.15 and 36.85 billion CNY, exhibiting a spatial aggregation pattern centered on the Qiandao Lake waterbody, with distance–decay characteristics. The PLUS model confirms ecological conservation policies optimize ES patterns. (2) The HWB index surged from 0.16 to 0.8, driven by tourism-led economic growth, infrastructure investment, and institutional innovation, facilitating a paradigm shift from low to high well-being at the county level. (3) The ES-HWB interaction evolved through three phases—disordered, antagonism, and coordination—revealing tourism as a key mediator driving coupled human–environment system sustainability via a pressure–adaptation–synergy transmission mechanism. This study not only advances the understanding of ES-HWB coevolution in ecotourism-dominated counties, but also provides a transferable methodological framework for sustainable development in similar regions. Full article

The development of the Great Wall National Cultural Park has unleashed the potential for integrating cultural and tourism development along the Great Wall. However, ICH along the Great Wall, a key part of its cultural identity, suffers from low recognition and a mismatch between protection and development efforts. This study analyzes provincial-level and above ICH along Hebei’s Great Wall using geospatial tools and the Geographical Detector model to explore distribution patterns and influencing factors, while Geographically Weighted Regression is utilized to reveal spatial heterogeneity. It tests two hypotheses: (H1) ICH shows a clustered pattern; (H2) economic factors have a greater impact than cultural and natural factors. Key findings show: (1) ICH distribution is numerically balanced north–south but spatially uneven, with dense clusters in the south and scattered patterns in the north. (2) ICH and crafts cluster significantly, while dramatic balladry spreads evenly, and other categories are random. (3) Average annual temperature and precipitation have the greatest impact on ICH distribution, with the factors ranked as: natural > cultural > economic. Multidimensional interactions show significant enhancement effects. (4) Influencing factors vary spatially. Population density, transport, temperature, and traditional villages are positively related to ICH. Elevation, precipitation, tourism, and cultural institutions show mixed effects across regions. These insights support targeted ICH conservation and sustainable development in the Great Wall cultural corridor. Full article

Nomadic heritage villages constitute significant material cultural heritage. Under China’s cultural revitalization and rural development strategies, these villages face spatial degradation driven by tourism and urbanization. Current research predominantly employs isolated analytical approaches—space syntax often overlooks social dynamics while social network analysis (SNA) overlooks physical interfaces—hindering the development of holistic solutions for socio-spatial resilience. This study proposes a multi-scale integrated assessment framework combining social network analysis (SNA) and space syntax to systematically evaluate public space structures in traditional nomadic villages of Xinjiang. The framework provides scientific evidence for optimizing public space design in these villages, facilitating harmonious coexistence between spatial functionality and cultural values. Focusing on three heritage villages—representing compact, linear, and dispersed morphologies—the research employs a hierarchical “village-street-node” analytical model to dissect spatial configurations and their socio-functional dynamics. Key findings include the following: Compact villages exhibit high central clustering but excessive concentration, necessitating strategies to enhance network resilience and peripheral connectivity. Linear villages demonstrate weak systemic linkages, requiring “segment-connection point supplementation” interventions to mitigate structural elongation. Dispersed villages maintain moderate network density but face challenges in visual integration and centrality, demanding targeted activation of key intersections to improve regional cohesion. By merging SNA’s social attributes with space syntax’s geometric precision, this framework bridges a methodological gap, offering comprehensive spatial optimization solutions. Practical recommendations include culturally embedded placemaking, adaptive reuse of transitional spaces, and thematic zoning to balance heritage conservation with tourism needs. Analyzing Xinjiang’s unique spatial–social interactions provides innovative insights for sustainable heritage village planning and replicable solutions for comparable global cases. Full article

Currently, exploring digital immersive experiences is a new trend in the innovation and development of cultural tourism. This study addresses the growing demand for digital immersion in cultural tourism by examining the integration of spatial narrative and digitally gamified architectural scenarios. This study synthesizes an optimized framework for narrative design in digitally gamified architectural scenarios, integrating spatial narrative theory and feedback-informed design. The proposed model comprises four key components: (1) developing spatial narrative design methods for such scenarios; (2) constructing a spatial language system for spatial narratives using linguistic principles to organize narrative expression; (3) building a preliminary digitally gamified scenario based on the “Wuhu Jiaoji Temple Renovation Project” after architectural and environmental enhancements; and (4) optimization through thermal feedback experiments—collecting visitor trajectory heatmaps, eye-tracking heatmaps, and oculometric data. The results show that the optimized design, validated in the original game Dreams of Jiaoji, effectively enhanced spatial narrative execution by refining both on-site and in-game architectural scenarios. Post-optimization visitor feedback confirmed the validity of the proposed optimization strategies and principles, providing theoretical and practical references for innovative digital cultural tourism models and architectural design advancements. In the context of site-specific architectural conservation, this approach achieves two key objectives: the generalized interpretation of architectural cultural resources and their visual representation through gamified interactions. This paradigm not only enhances public engagement through enabling a multidimensional understanding of historical building cultures but also accelerates the protective reuse of heritage sites, allowing heritage value to be maximized through contemporary reinterpretation. The interdisciplinary methodology promotes sustainable development in the digital transformation of cultural tourism, fostering user-centered experiences and contributing to rural revitalization. Ultimately, this study highlights the potential use of digitally gamified architectural scenarios as transformative tools for heritage preservation, cultural dissemination, and rural community revitalization. Full article

As a crucial ecological barrier in China, the Greater Khingan Mountains play a vital role in global ecological security. Investigating the spatiotemporal variations in fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and the driving mechanisms behind its spatial differentiation is essential. This study introduced a KNDVI-XGeoML framework integrating the Kernel NDVI and explainable geospatial machine learning to analyze the FVC dynamics and the mechanisms driving their spatial differentiation in China’s Greater Khingan Mountains, based on which targeted ecological management strategies were proposed. The key findings reveal that (1) from 2001 to 2022, FVC showed an increasing trend, confirming the effectiveness of ecological restoration. (2) The XGeoML model successfully revealed nonlinear relationships and threshold effects between driving factors and FVC. In addition, both single-factor importance and inter-factor interaction analyses consistently showed that landform factors dominated the spatial distribution of FVC. (3) Regional heterogeneity emerged—human activities drove the northern alpine zones, while landform factors governed other areas. (4) The natural-environment-dominated zones and human-activity-dominated zones were established, and management strategies were proposed: restricting tourism in low-altitude zones, optimizing the cold-resistant vegetation at high elevations, and improving the southern soil conditions to support ecological barrier construction. The innovation lies in merging nonlinear vegetation indices with interpretable machine learning, overcoming the traditional limitations in terms of saturation effects and analyses of spatial heterogeneity. This approach enhances our understanding of high-latitude vegetation dynamics, offering a methodological advancement for precision ecological management. The spatial zoning strategy based on dominant drivers provides actionable insights for maintaining this critical ecological barrier, particularly under climate change pressures. The framework demonstrates strong potential for extrapolation to other ecologically sensitive regions requiring data-driven conservation planning. Full article

The imbalance between urban and rural development has become a global structural problem that needs to be solved urgently. In this context, the tourism industry, with its strong correlation and cross-regional integration characteristics, provides a key practical entry point and mechanism for systematically promoting integrated development by stimulating factor flow, reconstructing the value chain, and reshaping local identity. Based on the synergetic theory, this paper constructs the theoretical framework of the synergetic evolution of the tourism industry and urban–rural integration, and analyzes the synergetic effect of the tourism industry and urban–rural integration in 58 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2007 to 2021 and the dynamic characteristics of its spatio-temporal evolution by using the entropy TOPSIS, Haken model, and spatial Markov chain methods. The results show the following: ① As the order parameter of synergistic evolution, the tourism industry dominates the evolution direction of the whole system, mainly showing positive feedback effect, showing a significant stage characteristic in general, and gradually reducing the difference from the initial regional differentiation to the middle stage, finally reaching a higher level of unity. ② The synergic evolution of the tourism industry and urban–rural integration in the Yellow River Basin presents significant temporal and spatial differences in the upstream, midstream, and downstream, with the overall characteristics of “collaborative improvement in the upstream, significant agglomeration in the midstream, and reverse decoupling in the downstream”. ③ The dynamic evolution of the synergistic development of the tourism industry and urban–rural integration in the Yellow River Basin has significant characteristics of spatial interaction and dynamic transfer. Its level has the effect of “path dependence”, showing a good trend of upward transfer, and the spatial neighborhood has a significant impact on the synergetic level transfer. The development trend of each region shows that “the upstream region is upward and stable, the midstream region has significant agglomeration and diffusion effects, and the downstream region is driven by polar nuclei and spatial differentiation”. Full article

Landscape narrative theory, which focuses on the interaction between space, culture, and human experience, provides a practical and interdisciplinary framework for guiding the integration of culture and tourism. By incorporating storytelling elements into tourism planning, it helps transform static cultural assets into engaging visitor experiences. This approach is particularly relevant in provincial contexts where cultural resources are unevenly distributed. Taking Anhui Province, China, as a case study, this research builds a five-dimensional evaluation system covering culture–tourism economy, cultural resources, tourism resources, transportation accessibility, and policy support. Using spatial analytical methods such as Moran’s I and the Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model, the study identifies clear spatial clustering patterns and influential factors. The SAR model results show that transportation accessibility (coefficient = 0.685, p < 0.01) and policy support (coefficient = 0.736, p < 0.01) significantly promote integration. In contrast, cultural resources (coefficient = −0.352, p < 0.01) and tourism resources (p ≈ 0.11) have limited or no significant direct economic impact. Based on these findings, this paper proposes targeted strategies such as building regional narrative networks, enhancing infrastructure and policy coordination, and fostering collaborative development. The key contribution of this study lies in applying landscape narrative theory at the provincial level to construct a “Theory–Indicators–Method–Strategy” framework, offering new perspectives for promoting high-quality regional culture–tourism integration. Full article

Cultural and ecological heritage is often an essential ingredient for sustainable urban and regional regeneration and needs to be properly managed for an environment-benign development. Many heritage-led areas in Europe, named here ‘cultural-ecological complexes’ (CECs), seek a sustainable, regenerative, and actionable strategy. Our study aims to identify successful CECs from the viewpoint of their transformative cultural potential, assessed through surveys among visitors and residents. The research focuses on the assessment of seven Cultural-Ecological Complexes (CECs) in Europe: Karlsborg (Sweden), Mark (Sweden), Larnaca (Cyprus), Basilicata (Italy), Huesca (Spain), Vojvodina (Serbia), and Sibiu (Romania/Moldova). The European areas under study are selected on the basis of their transformative cultural tourism profile and potential, with the aim of tracing a balanced, sustainable development and a positive regenerative or circular transition. Each CEC was analyzed based on its transformative cultural potential and sustainability impact using multivariate Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Each region under consideration comprises a set of ‘information agents’, in particular visitors and residents, who may be regarded as informal stakeholders providing crucial or decisive information and guidelines on the sustainability situation in the region and on ways to proceed to transformative cultural tourism. This novel approach is essentially a form of citizen-based or agent-based co-creation. In our study, empirical information on the perceptions, preferences, and involvement of such agents was collected through systematically structured and consistently administered surveys among hundreds of participants (visitors, residents, etc.) in seven CECs in Europe. The research methodology is based on a blend of multivariate statistics (in particular, Principal Component Analysis—PCA) and spatial efficiency analysis (using Data Envelopment Analysis—DEA). The agents in each region are conceived of as spatial decision-making units (DMUs) in a DEA framework. Our DEA assessment model contains a multiscalar structure organized in a cascadic and interactive form with two constituents, namely cultural-ecological areas (CECs) and place-based information agents. The findings from this novel Multivariate DEA provide generic directives for an enhancement of the cultural-ecological performance for CECs and offer quantitative information for place-based efficiency-improving strategies of CECs in various contexts. Full article

The “hand-waving sacrifice” is a large-scale sacrificial ceremony with more than 2000 years of history. It was passed down from ancient times by the Tujia ethnic group living in the Wuling Corridor of China, and it integrates religion, sacrifice, dance, drama, and other cultural forms. It primarily consists of two parts: ritual content (inviting gods, offering sacrifices to gods, dancing a hand-waving dance, etc.) and the architectural space that hosts the ritual (hand-waving hall), which together constitute Tujia’s most sacred ritual space and the most representative art and culture symbol. Nonetheless, in existing studies, the hand-waving sacrifice ritual, hand-waving hall architectural space, and hand-waving dance art are often separated as independent research objects, and little attention is paid to the coupling mechanism of the mutual construction of space and ritual in the process of historical development. Moreover, with the acceleration of modernization, the current survival context of the hand-waving sacrifice has undergone drastic changes. On the one hand, the intangible cultural heritage protection policy and the wave of tourism development have pushed it into the public eye and the cultural consumption system. On the other hand, the changes in the social structure of traditional villages have led to the dissolution of the sacredness of ritual space. Therefore, using the interaction of “space-ritual” as a prompt, this research first uses GIS technology to visualize the spatial geographical distribution characteristics and diachronic evolution process of hand-waving halls in six historical periods and then specifically analyzes the sacred construction of hand-waving hall architecture for the hand-waving sacrifice ritual space throughout history, as well as the changing mechanism of the continuous secularization of the hand-waving sacrifice space in contemporary society. Overall, this study reveals a unique path for non-literate ethnic groups to achieve the intergenerational transmission of cultural memory through the collusion of material symbols and physical art practices, as well as the possibility of embedding the hand-waving sacrifice ritual into contemporary spatial practice through symbolic translation and functional extension in the context of social function inheritance and variation. Finally, this study has specific inspirational and reference value for exploring how the traditional culture and art of ethnic minorities can maintain resilience against the tide of modernization. Full article

In the Taihang Mountain Tourism Development Plan (2020–2035), the Taihang Mountain Expressway is included in the construction of the National Tourism Scenic Road around Taihang Mountain to promote the integrated development of regional transportation and tourism. The Lai-Qu Expressway is part of the Baoding section of the Taihang Mountain Expressway. Based on the data of traffic flow on the Lai-Qu Expressway, data of regional tourism resources, and data of regional economic and social development, this paper studies the interaction between the traffic and tourism space of the Lai-Qu Expressway by using spatial interaction, geographically weighted regression (GWR), and other geospatial analysis theories and methods. The results show that the traffic flow of the Baishishan Tollgate is directly correlated with the passenger flow of the Baishishan scenic spot. The spatial pattern of two tourism resource cluster centers and one sub-center, and one residential cluster center and one sub-center is expected to be formed along the Lai-Qu Expressway. The newly built traffic routes extend the influence of the traffic space and overlaps with the regional tourism space, not only providing new opportunities and possibilities for the development of regional tourism, but also promoting the change in the regional tourism spatial pattern and the cluster form of tourism resources. The research on the interaction between the traffic–tourism space in this paper can help to enrich the theoretical connotation of the research on the integration of transport and tourism, and can also be used to evaluate the tourism impact of newly built transport routes and serve the regional tourism development. Full article

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage agroecosystem, embody a millennia-old synergy of cultural heritage and ecological resilience, yet face declining water yields amid land-use intensification and climate variability. This study employs the InVEST model and geographic detector analysis to quantify water-yield dynamics from 2010 to 2020 and identify their spatial and mechanistic drivers. Annual water yield averaged 558 mm, with cultivated lands contributing 33% of total volume, while built-up areas reached 980 mm per unit in 2018. A 31% decline by 2020, driven by cropland fragmentation and tourism growth, revealed persistent-yield hotspots in forested central-eastern terraces and cold spots in southwestern dryland margins. Land-use pattern accounted for 80–95% of yield variability, exacerbated by temperature interactions. Forests, delivering 68.7 million m³ over the decade, highlight the hydrological significance of traditional landscape mosaics. These findings advocate reforestation in critical recharge zones, terrace restoration to preserve agroecological integrity, and regulated tourism integrating rainwater harvesting to sustain water security and cultural heritage. By blending hydrological modeling with socio-cultural insights, this study provides a scalable framework for safeguarding terraced agroecosystems worldwide, aligning heritage conservation with sustainable development. Full article

Boating tourism in coastal–maritime areas often overlaps spatially and temporally with other economic activities, such as fishing, leading to complex interactions. These interactions can create opportunities for positive cooperation or generate conflicts that pressure natural resources and stakeholders. The aim of this study is to show whether or not there is evidence of interactions between fishing (n_f = 43) and tourism/recreation (n_t = 65) vessels. This study focuses on the interaction between maritime tourism activities and fishing in southern Portugal, using a social network analysis (SNA) approach based on automatic identification system (AIS) data to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns. The findings reveal that tourism activities dominate zones closer to the coast, with intermediate areas serving as shared spaces where interactions between vessel activities are more likely to occur. There was evidence of occasional interactions between a few recreational and fishing vessels (two passengers and three seiners), but the inferences from the results are insufficient to demonstrate how beneficial they are for both activities. Full article

As climate change intensifies, cities are experiencing more severe rainfall and frequent waterlogging. When rainfall exceeds the carrying capacity of urban drainage networks, it poses a significant risk to urban facilities and public safety, seriously affecting sustainable urban development. Compared with general urban built-up areas, they demonstrate greater vulnerability to rainfall-induced waterlogging due to their obsolete infrastructure and high heritage value, making it imperative to comprehensively enhance their waterlogging resilience. In this study, Qingdao’s historic urban area is selected as a sample case to analyze the interaction between rainfall intensity, the built environment, and population and business characteristics and the mechanism of waterlogging disaster in the historic urban area by combining with the concept of resilience; then construct a resilience assessment system for waterlogging in the historic urban area in terms of dangerousness, vulnerability, and adaptability; and carry out a measurement study. Specifically, the CA model is used as the basic model for simulating the possibility of waterlogging, and the waterlogging resilience index is quantified by combining the traditional research data and the emerging open-source geographic data. Furthermore, the waterlogging resilience and obstacle factors of the 293 evaluation units were quantitatively evaluated by varying the rainfall characteristics. The study shows that the low flooding resilience in the historic city is found in the densely built-up areas within the historic districts, which are difficult to penetrate, because of the high vulnerability of the buildings themselves, their adaptive capacity to meet the high intensity of tourism and commercial activities, and the relatively weak resilience of the built environment to disasters. Based on the measurement results, targeted spatial optimization strategies and planning adjustments are proposed. Full article