Synergizing High-Quality Tourism Development and Digital Economy: A Coupling Coordination Analysis in Chinese...

Area of Science:

• Digital Economy
• Tourism Management
• Regional Science

Background:

• The digital economy (DE) is a significant driver for high-quality tourism development (HQTD).
• Coordinating DE and HQTD is crucial for sustainable urban development.
• Understanding the interplay between DE and HQTD is essential for policy-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between HQTD and DE in Chinese prefecture-level cities.
• To identify the driving factors of CCD using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP).
• To provide policy implications for synergistic DE and HQTD.

Main Methods:

• Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model applied to Chinese prefecture-level cities (2010-2019).
• Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) for identifying key driving factors of CCD.
• Comparative analysis of regional disparities and driving factors.

Main Results:

• Both HQTD and DE show an upward trend from 2010-2019, with DE developing faster than HQTD.
• Significant regional disparities in CCD were observed, with the northwest region lagging.
• Total social retail sales per capita and tertiary sector percentage are key drivers; economic development and urbanization show non-linear relationships.

Conclusions:

• HQTD and DE are increasingly coupled, but imbalances persist, particularly in less developed regions.
• Consumption drives CCD in eastern and northern cities, while labor capital is key in the northwest.
• Targeted policies are needed to address regional differences and promote synergistic development.