The Role of Tourism in Promoting the Urbanization of Ethnic Border Areas: A Case Study of Xishuangbanna
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This manuscript presents an important study of “The Role of Tourism in Promoting the Urbanization of Ethnic Border Areas: A Case Study of Xishuangbanna”.
Generally, this study was completed through the panel data of county-level units in China from 2010 to 2019 (obtained from China County Statistical Yearbook, the Yunnan Statistical Yearbook, and the Xishuangbanna Statistical Yearbook. The paper clearly presents its objectives and can make an important contribution highlighting the coupling coordination degree of tourism and urbanization.
The methodology in the current manuscript is detailed and allow such procedures to be applied in other areas of interest. Similarly, the results are detailed and consistent with the procedures used. However, there are some aspects of the manuscript that I believe should be addressed by the authors before publication. The text needs editing to correct some typographical, grammatical and spelling mistakes. I could select a few just from the manuscript.
1. In the abstract, please include a sentence above the methodology used for collecting the data. The authors may include a sentence as, “This study used panel data of county-level units in China from 2010 to 2019”.
2. The key-words should be alphabetically arranged.
3. Some of the sentences are too long and have some grammatical errors. For example, “Referencing previous research findings and the development characteristics of ethnic border areas, 47 indicators in five dimensions (population, economy, society, space, and ecological environment) were selected to construct a quality evaluation system for tourism urbanization in the ethnic area of Xishuangbanna, and key influencing factors and major issues in the process of tourism urbanization in ethnic border areas were identified”. It may be improved as, “Referencing previous research findings and the development characteristics of ethnic border areas, 47 indicators in five dimensions (population, economy, society, space, and ecological environment) were selected to construct an efficient evaluation system for tourism urbanization in the ethnic area of Xishuangbanna. The key influencing factors and major issues in the process of tourism urbanization in ethnic border areas were identified”.
4. Line # 42 – 43, may please be referenced as, “Since the reform and opening-up, tourism development has played an important role in promoting China's urbanization process (Tong et al 2023), especially in the central and eastern regions.
· Tong D, Sun Y, Tang J, Luo Z, Lu J.... Liu X (2023) Modeling the interaction of internal and external systems of rural settlements: the case of Guangdong, China. Land Use Policy 132:106830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106830
5. Lastly, the authors should double check and follow a uniform format for referencing.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Dear reviewer:
Thanks very much for taking your time to review this manuscript. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions! I will try my best to revise the manuscript, please find my itemized responses in the PDF below and my revisions/corrections in the re-submitted files.
Thank you very much again！
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
I think that this is a good paper. I have enjoyed reading it. It casts light on the interdependencies between tourism development and urbanization in marginal regions bordering with other countries.
The structure of the paper is very clear and coherent. Authors present and explain clearly the objectives, the literature framework, the methodological approach and the results quite well. I did not find any relevant critical point. I have also appreciated the discussion, focusing on the policy implications of the results, and the description of the research limitations.
I have only two comments.
First, I suggest adding the research questions addressed by this work. When authors present the objectives of their work at the end of par. 1, I would present them also in the form of research questions.
Second, I suggest to take into consideration the literature on twin bordering cities, which in many cases base their development on tourism. I think that this might be a very interesting and relevant strand of literature (see for example the works:
- Garrard, J., & Mikhailova, E. (Eds.) (2018). Twin cities. urban communities, borders and relationships over time. Routledge, New York.
- Meijers, E., Hoogerbrugge, M., & Hollander, K. (2014). Twin cities in the process of metropolisation. Urban Research & Practice, 7(1), 35–55.
- Mikhailova, E., Garrard, J. (Eds.) (2021). Twin Cities across Five Continents. Interactions and Tensions on Urban Borders. Routledge, New York.
- Musolino D., Pellegrino L. (2022), Integration of twin cities: a Delphi investigation of the urban areas on both sides of the Strait of Messina. Journal of Urban Affairs, published online: 10 Oct 2022.
Author Response
Dear reviewer:
Thanks very much for taking your time to review this manuscript. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions! I will try my best to revise the manuscript, please find my itemized responses in the PDF below and my revisions/corrections in the re-submitted files.
Thank you very much again！
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
It was a pleasure to read this paper. Very well-presented problem, the methodology is clearly written and explained in detail. A few suggestions relate to:
- The literature used in the second title should be inserted.
- Add a few more recent references
- Add doi numbers to all journals where possible
Author Response
Dear reviewer:
Thanks very much for taking your time to review this manuscript. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions! I will try my best to revise the manuscript, please find my itemized responses in the PDF below and my revisions/corrections in the re-submitted files.
Thank you very much again！
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
Abstract: The abstract provides a concise overview of the study. However, it would be beneficial to include a brief description of the methodology used and key findings in the abstract to give readers a better understanding of the study's scope and significance.
Introduction:
- Provide a clearer introduction that highlights the significance of studying the relationship between tourism and urbanization in ethnic border areas. Why is Xishuangbanna chosen as a case study? What are the broader implications of the study?
- Specify the research questions or hypotheses that the study aims to address.
- Include a brief overview of the organization of the paper to guide readers through the content.
Methodology: 4. Provide a more detailed description of the coupling coordination degree model used in the study, including its mathematical framework and how it was applied to the tourism and urbanization subsystems.
- Explain the data sources and collection methods for the variables used in the analysis.
Results: 6. Present the key findings of the study in a structured and concise manner. Use tables, charts, and graphs to illustrate the results, making it easier for readers to understand the trends and relationships identified.
- Provide statistical measures or significance tests where applicable to support the validity of the findings.
Discussion: 8. Discuss the implications of the findings for Xishuangbanna and other similar regions. How can the results inform policies and strategies for promoting urbanization in ethnic border areas?
- Address potential limitations of the study, such as data limitations or assumptions made in the model.
- Consider comparing the findings with relevant literature to provide context and support the study's contribution to the field.
Map and Legend: 11. Study includes maps, ensure they are of high quality, with clear labeling, legends, and a scale bar for reference.
- Improve the legend to explain the symbols, colors, or patterns used in the map and their meanings.
Evaluation System and Indicators: 13. Provide more information on how the evaluation system for tourism urbanization quality was developed and validated.
- Consider including a table listing all the indicators used, their definitions, and the rationale for their selection.
- Discuss the sources of data for each indicator and any potential sources of bias or error.
Conclusion: 16. Summarize the main findings and their implications for Xishuangbanna and similar regions.
- Highlight the contributions of the study to the field of tourism urbanization research.
These revisions will help enhance the clarity and scientific rigor of the paper, making it more valuable to readers and researchers in the field.
Minor editing of English language required
Author Response
Dear reviewer:
Thanks very much for taking your time to review this manuscript. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions! I will try my best to revise the manuscript, please find my itemized responses in the PDF below and my revisions/corrections in the re-submitted files.
Thank you very much again！
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 5 Report
Thank you for the opportunity to review the paper “The Role of Tourism in Promoting the Urbanization of Ethnic Border Areas: A Case Study of Xishuangbanna”.
The main objective of the paper is to take Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture as a research case to construct a tourism urbanization measurement model from five dimensions: population, economy, society, space, and ecological environment. In addition, it introduces a coupling coordination degree model to analyze the coordination relationship between tourism and urbanization development in Xishuangbanna from 2010 to 2019 and to examine the development patterns, limiting factors, and changes in coupling coordination degree of tourism urbanization in Xishuangbanna.
Please see below my comments on this manuscript.
In the Introduction section, the authors did not emphasize sufficiently the originality of the paper/ the gap the paper intends to fill.
In addition, the authors did not emphasize why/how is this study different from others similar published in the field. In addition, why would be this study relevant for the international scientific community?
In the Methodology section please provide references for the indicators that were utilized in the paper. In addition, please include at the beginning of the Research Methods section a short description/enumeration of the methods and/or steps which are intended to be used in order for the reader to better understand the complexity of the analysis.
The policy recommendations are an important section in the paper. Therefore, I recommend the authors to improve this section by adding more relevant recommendations based on the results obtained.
Please split the Discussion chapter into 2 sections: Discussion and Managerial Implications (from line 580).
Please split the Conclusions chapter into 2 sections: Conclusions and Limitations and future research directions (from line 664).
Please add some additional information regarding the tables and figures: Figure 1: please indicate the source of the figure Table 1: please indicate the sources utilized for the statistical figures used.
Overall, throughout the paper, the references are missing. For example,
Lines 94-96, 98-99; 386-397; 567-569; Chapter 2; 3.2; Table 1;
Please reread the manuscript and provide references.
Author Response
Dear reviewer:
Thanks very much for taking your time to review this manuscript. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions! I will try my best to revise the manuscript, please find my itemized responses in the PDF below and my revisions/corrections in the re-submitted files.
Thank you very much again！
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 5 Report
Tha paper was much improved.
