The spatial relationship of tourist distribution in Chinese cities

This study investigates the spatial dependence and mechanisms of international and domestic tourist distributions in 299 cities in mainland China through a set of Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial statistical tools. The results show that during the period of investigation (1999-2007), there was a significant degree of neighbouring effect (i.e. positive spatial correlation) in both international and domestic tourist distributions. We have also highlighted that tourism development in a given city is dependent on the developments in neighbouring cities. Specifically, the tourist distribution shows a polarized (core - periphery) spatial pattern, which is strongly connected to the economic development level and tourism resources of the cities. Furthermore, the findings reveal tourist distribution clusters that underscore the importance of geographical focus. Overall, the results imply that policy makers are encouraged to pay attention to patterns of tourist distribution.