Rural Tourism Agglomeration Characteristics in Jilin Province and Their Influencing Factors
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Thank you for the opportunity to review this article. I appreciate the chance to contribute to its improvement. I have some comments and suggestions that I believe could help clarify certain aspects and strengthen the overall quality of the manuscript.
Introduction, lines 54–62: It is important to highlight the potential consequences of urban-to-rural shifts, especially regarding the process of gentrification.
Section 2.1, Overview of the research area: It would be beneficial to include a map to illustrate the location.
Section 2.2, line 137: The sentence appears to contain a contradiction: it states that the spatial distribution is both "largely dispersed" and "concentrated." Could you please clarify whether the distribution of rural tourism resources in Jilin Province is primarily dispersed, concentrated, or exhibits a mixed pattern?
Table 1, Model interpretation: Do the rural tourism resource points refer to the same concept as rural tourism sites? This requires clarification.
What does "f" mean in the sentence: "Conversely, the closer f G is to 0, the more dispersed the distribution of rural tourism resource points is"?
Table 1: Do the presented measures reflect the same phenomenon? How do the results of these four methods differ and complement each other? It would be helpful to indicate whether the value of any of these measures reflects the strength or intensity of the observed pattern.
Table 2: Are Gini values included in the table? Please indicate this in the title.
Section 3.3.2: The Pearson correlation coefficient is not described in the methodology section. Additionally, which test was used to assess its significance?
The section concerning the conclusion should be placed at the end of the article. It should also include recommendations, directions for further research, and limitations.
The discussion section should be supported by relevant literature. I suggest extracting part of the results section for the discussion. The discussion should be placed before the conclusion.
Language: Some parts of the article require language corrections. Improving grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure in these sections would enhance the clarity and overall readability of the manuscript.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Introduction
Rural tourism agglomeration which represents the main goal for writing this paper is insufficiently presented. Authors detailed industrial rural agglomeration and highlight that rural tourism agglomeration is a form of industrial agglomeration. Explanations on this issue are evasive and a more in-depth analysis is important: causes, positive and negative effects, barriers for communities development, landscape degradation and so on. Authors omitted to evaluate these aspects, the main elements analyzed being related to industrial rural agglomeration. Tourism is, indeed, considered an industry, but with specific characteristics which need further analysis.
The gap identified by authors also is not properly presented, as only personal ideas are included, without mentioning prior research on this particular aspect.
Statements such as “the research is comprehensive, objective and scientific” are worthless unless specifically explained.
Research
Authors use the concept of “tourism resources” without explaining the content of these analyzed resources: rural accommodation, rural inns, rural restaurants, villages, etc. At line 170 they mentioned that they have taken into account different business types. It is mandatory to mention what type of business were evaluated. Also specifying the distribution of these business types would be important to understand the rural tourism development of the Jilin Province. At line 246 authors introduce another concept, i.e. tourism business unit. Coherence and unity are essential attributes of a scientific paper.
Moreover, evaluations presented could be differentiated on these business types and would increase the paper’s quality. At page 8 some details are included, but clear explanations for all these components, in the methodological section, are lacking.
Results
The first part of the 3.3. section is literature review and should be included in the dedicated section. The title for 3.3.1 is not accurate, as only water resources were evaluated. Elevation which was analyzed beginning with line 310, is not an environmental issue, it is a geographical element.
Discussion
This section in written as a Conclusion section, as differences or comparisons with findings from other previous studies are not included.
Practical implications and limits of the study were also not included.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The manuscript entitled “Rural tourism agglomeration characteristics and influencing factors in Jilin Province” has some merits and provides valuable contributions to the tourism literature. The study addresses an under-researched area (rural tourism agglomeration) in an economically underdeveloped region which represents a significant contribution. Nevertheless, it has issues to be addressed. Comments are below:
Major Points
The use of multiple spatial analysis techniques (Gini, nearest neighbor, Ripley’s K, kernel density, buffer analysis) is robust. Yet, the paper needs to provide more justification for why these specific models were chosen over alternatives, and how their combined use reduces methodological bias.
The study includes figures and tables support the argument, but authors could improve their readability in terms of clearer legends, less text overlap.
The discussion of the results sometimes leans toward description rather than critical analysis. A stronger link between findings and rural revitalization policy implications would enhance impact. Also, the discussion could highlight more explicitly how the findings extend or challenge existing theories of tourism agglomeration.
The practical suggestions should provide more emphasis on long-term sustainability and potential risks (e.g., environmental degradation, overdependence on flagship sites).
Minor Points
Try to maintain consistency in terminology such as “rural homestays” vs. “guesthouses”
Table formatting could be improved for easier comparison.
The abstract is informative but could be shortened for conciseness, no need for numbering within the abstract.
Author Response
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Comments 1: The use of multiple spatial analysis techniques (Gini, nearest neighbor, Ripley’s K, kernel density, buffer analysis) is robust. Yet, the paper needs to provide more justification for why these specific models were chosen over alternatives, and how their combined use reduces methodological bias. |
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Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment.The Gini Index is used to characterize the equilibrium of distribution at the macro level and identify the overall agglomeration trend. The Nearest Neighbor Index is applied to represent the point distribution pattern at the micro level and quantify the intensity of local agglomeration. Ripley's K Function analyzes the agglomeration or dispersion characteristics through multi-scale analysis, revealing the scale dependence of the distribution of rural tourism resource points. Kernel Density Analysis defines the agglomeration core areas by visualizing density gradients. These four methods not only have differences but also complement each other in results. In accordance with your guidance, we have made the following revisions in the geographical interpretation. Table 2. Statistical analysis models and their geographical significance
Comments 2:The study includes figures and tables support the argument, but authors could improve their readability in terms of clearer legends, less text overlap. Response 2: We sincerely appreciate your insightful comments and suggestions on our manuscript. We have carefully addressed each of the points you raised, with particular attention to improving the readability of figures and tables, enhancing the clarity of legends, and reducing text overlap. Below is a point-by-point response to your comments, along with a description of the revisions made. All changes have been highlighted in red in the revised manuscript. 1. Improvements in Readability: Clearer Legends and Reduced Text Overlap.We have added more detailed titles and notes to each figure to ensure that they are self-explanatory without heavy reliance on the main text. (Please see lines 181-186):Figure 1.The original caption was brief; it has been expanded to:Overview of the research area and spatial distribution of rural tourism resources in Jilin Province.Note: The base map was based on the standard map (Review Number: GS(2019)3333) from the Ministry of Natural Resources, without modification. Figure 1. Overview of the research area and spatial distribution of rural tourism resources in Jilin Province Note: The base map was based on the standard map (Review Number: GS(2019)3333) from the Ministry of Natural Resources, without modification (Please see line 202):We have meticulously reviewed the entire manuscript to ensure terminological consistency. The term tourism business unit has been standardized to key rural tourism enterprises throughout the text.(Please see Table1) Table1.Categories of rural tourism resources
(Please see lines 233-234):Previously lacked a descriptive title; now revised to:Temporal evolution of the Gini coefficient and nearest neighbor index of rural tourism resources in Jilin Province (2016–2023). 2.Reduction of Text Overlap.Redundant descriptions between the main text and figures/tables have been eliminated or integrated. (Please see lines 213-214):As shown in Figure 2, the Gini index remained above 0.70 during 2016–2023, indicating a highly concentrated and increasingly agglomerated pattern
Comments 3:The discussion of the results sometimes leans toward description rather than critical analysis. A stronger link between findings and rural revitalization policy implications would enhance impact. Also, the discussion could highlight more explicitly how the findings extend or challenge existing theories of tourism agglomeration. Response 3: Thank you for pointing this out.In response to each point, we have carefully revised the manuscript as follows:Firstly,We have moved the discussion section so that it now precedes the conclusion section, thereby ensuring a coherent logical flow. Secondly, We have integrated authoritative, up-to-date literature to contextualize and interpret our key findings from multiple perspectives.Thirdly,The conclusion section has been relocated to the end of the manuscript and condensed into a concise summary of the main findings.In addition, three new sub-sections such as practical recommendations,directions for future research and limitations have been added to provide explicit guidance for subsequent studies.We sincerely appreciate your detailed guidance. If any further improvements are required, please do not hesitate to let us know. (Lines427-481):Discussion. Promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas and facilitating the spatial agglomeration of rural tourism can activate rural resource elements, enhance agricultural labor productivity, and increase farmers' income through multiple channels. This is of great significance for underdeveloped regions to comprehensively promote the rural revitalization strategy[36] and achieve common prosperity for all[37]. Based on existing research, this study uses multi-scale spatial analysis methods to reveal the spatio-temporal pattern, business type differentiation, and formation mechanism of rural tourism agglomeration in Jilin Province. The research finds that the spatial distribution of rural tourism resources shows significant non-equilibrium characteristics under the influence of multiple factors such as natural conditions, economic foundation, and social environment. Overall, rural tourism in Jilin Province exhibits a "high polarization and weak diffusion" trend, indicating a high degree of agglomeration that is continuing to strengthen, albeit with uneven development among regions. The central region, with its advantages in economy, resources, and market, demonstrated a high degree of agglomeration in the early stages of rural tourism development. However, the eastern region has prominent late-mover advantages, and its differences with the central region are gradually decreasing. The agglomeration characteristics of the western region exhibit a leapfrog development trend, but, overall, it is still in the early stages of agglomeration development. The standard deviation between regions has decreased from 0.260 to 0.038, reflecting a gradual transition from spatial differences to coordinated convergence under provincial policy coordination and market environment. Analysis of the agglomeration characteristics of different business types reveals that various rural tourism business types exhibit a service agglomeration distribution across different spatial scales, with a clear "initial increase followed by a decrease" trend. The spatial distribution scales of rural tourism business units and key rural tourism villages are similar, with both reaching their maximum agglomeration intensity at around 130km, indicating that these two business types are constrained by transportation radius and the market neighborhood, exhibiting a layered layout. The spatial agglomeration intensity of rural homestays fluctuates significantly, reaching a peak at 19.35km and forming a double-peak structure (peaks at 115.62km and 155.49km), indicating that homestay location selection is highly sensitive to micro-location, landscape uniqueness, and customer source stability. Analysis of influencing factors indicates that, in terms of natural conditions, the spatial agglomeration of rural tourism in Jilin Province exhibits a pronounced tendency towards water and land proximity, with significant agglomeration characteristics observed within a 2.5km buffer zone around water bodies at an altitude of around 200m. Analysis of economic development levels reveals that economically developed areas can provide rural areas with more diversified tourism products and services, promoting the development of rural tourism agglomeration. When the per capita GDP density is between 20,000 and 50,000 CNY/km² and the density of graded highways reaches 2km/km², the development of rural tourism begins to trend towards agglomeration. Analysis of social environmental factors shows that when the regional urban population density is between 20,000 and 50,000 people/km² and there are between 20 and 40 3A-grade or above scenic spots per km², characteristics of spatial rural tourism agglomeration are evident. In addition, it is necessary to be vigilant about the possible negative effects of excessive agglomeration[38]. Regions such as Changchun and Jilin have entered a high agglomeration plateau period, with resource congestion, environmental pressure, and the risk of homogenization competition gradually emerging; while in the western region, there are still challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, weak brand effect, and talent loss. Moreover, the gentrification trend of rural tourism and its social spatial impact on local communities have not been fully explored in this study, which will be a key focus of our subsequent research. (Lines482-561):Conclusions 5.1 Main Conclusions This study mainly emphasizes the spatial agglomeration characteristics and influencing factors of rural tourism in economically underdeveloped areas, providing important insights for the sustainable development of rural tourism. The main conclusions are as follows: Rural tourism in Jilin Province shows a significant spatial agglomeration trend, with a high overall agglomeration degree that continues to increase. There is a clear regional heterogeneity, with the central region maintaining a high and stable level, the eastern region showing a marginal decrease, and the western region achieving leapfrog development driven by policies. The response scales of multiple business types vary significantly: business units and key villages exhibit a unimodal ring structure, while rural homestays present a bimodal pattern of dependence on both the suburbs and scenic spots. Agglomeration is influenced by three-dimensional factors of nature, economy, and society. The natural conditions dimension shows a significant preference for water and proximity to the ground. The economic level dimension is highly correlated with per capita GDP and road network density. The social environment dimension closely depends on population density and the spatial spillover of high-level scenic spots. 5.2 Suggestions Currently, issues such as uneven spatial distributions, difficulties in integrating emerging rural tourism destinations, and short per capita travel radii are still barriers to rural tourism development in Jilin Province. To address these issues, the following optimization and regulation measures are proposed: â‘ Strengthening of the "point-like" radiation of high-grade scenic spots. The agglomeration effect caused by high-grade scenic spots is an important factor in the geographical spread of rural tourism. Especially in the western region of Jilin Province, where rural tourism is relatively dispersed, tourist sources at high-grade scenic spots should be used to drive the development and revitalization of surrounding rural tourism destinations. For this region in particular, it is possible to use the golden signboards of 5A-level scenic spots such as Chagan Lake and Nenjiang Bay as points to delineate their boundaries. Through measures such as unified identification, joint marketing, and inter-trip sharing, surrounding characteristic villages, towns, rural enterprises, homestays, and agritourism can be incorporated into the rural tourism route system, achieving the "coexistence of scenic spots and villages." â‘¡ Promotion of the "plane-like" expansion of characteristic villages and towns in rural tourism. Analysis of various business elements shows that rural tourism villages and towns have become important players in the development of rural tourism. In contrast to single rural tourism destinations, in rural tourism villages and towns, goals such as the construction of infrastructure, public services, and other support services can be better concentrated on. At the same time, these areas can rely on the power of village (town) governments to attract returning entrepreneurs to participate in rural tourism. Townships with restrictions should be encouraged to formulate special plans for rural tourism development under the unified planning of the town government, coordinating land use, environmental protection, and resource control. Tourism cooperatives should be established at the village level to integrate idle homesteads and abandoned land to build shared homestays and study camps, transforming resources into assets and villagers into shareholders. â‘¢ Strengthening of the "network-like" connectivity of roads. Research shows that the densities of grade roads, population, and per capita GDP are all significantly correlated with rural tourism agglomeration. Therefore, strengthening the connectivity between urban and rural areas, as well as between villages, and improving the economy, information services, and talent flow networks between urban and rural areas can effectively promote the flow and integration of factors between these areas and the development of high-quality rural tourism through the expansion and connectivity of networks. 5.3 Research Limitations and Future Directions Although this study has made certain contributions, several limitations are worth noting. Firstly, the POI data and official directories used in the research may have biases in covering micro and small business entities and emerging business forms. Such data sources tend to focus more on larger and more stable enterprises, which may lead to insufficient representation of non-standardized and seasonal rural tourism business forms. Secondly, the study is based on cross-sectional data, which can reveal the spatial characteristics at a certain point in time but is difficult to fully capture the dynamic evolution process and internal causal mechanisms of rural tourism agglomeration. Thirdly, the study did not fully incorporate in-depth discussions on social and cultural dimensions such as community participation, cultural authenticity, and host-guest relationships, which are important factors influencing the sustainable development and spatial formation of rural tourism. Future research can be further expanded in the following aspects: First, multi-source big data such as social media check-in data, online review information, and mobile phone signaling data can be introduced and combined with traditional geographic data to improve the accuracy and timeliness of business form identification and spatial measurement. Second, long-term tracking studies and multi-case comparisons can be conducted. Through diachronic analysis of rural tourism agglomeration areas at different development stages and in different regional types, their life cycles and evolution mechanisms can be revealed. In addition, particular attention should be paid to the social and spatial reconstruction effects brought about by rural gentrification, and the interaction and competition among external capital, new immigrants, and local communities in tourism development should be explored to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic driving forces and cultural changes behind rural tourism agglomeration.
Comments 4:Try to maintain consistency in terminology such as “rural homestays” vs. “guesthouses”. Response 4: We fully agree with your observation regarding the inconsistent use of “rural homestays” and “guesthouses.” We have now revised the entire manuscript to use the term “rural homestays” consistently. All instances of “guesthouses” have been replaced to maintain terminological accuracy and improve readability. (Please see lines457-461):The spatial agglomeration intensity of rural homestays fluctuates significantly, reaching a peak at 19.35km and forming a double-peak structure (peaks at 115.62km and 155.49km), indicating that homestay location selection is highly sensitive to micro-location, landscape uniqueness, and customer source stability.
Comments 5:Table formatting could be improved for easier comparison. Response 5: Thank you very much for your valuable feedback. We sincerely appreciate your suggestion regarding the improvement of table formatting to facilitate easier comparison. We agree entirely with your comment and have revised all tables in the manuscript accordingly to enhance their clarity, structure, and visual consistency. (Please see line 202 ):Table1.Simplified and aligned the description column to avoid redundancy with the category column. Adjusted spacing and column width for improved visual flow. (Please see line 210):Table2.Condensed overlapping content between model Interpretation and geographical significance. Standardized mathematical notation and improved overall alignment. |
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Comments 6:The abstract is informative but could be shortened for conciseness, no need for numbering within the abstract. Response 6: Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment.We have revised the abstract accordingly by removing the numbering and streamlining the content to enhance clarity and conciseness while retaining all key information. (Please see lines 11-25 ):Rural tourism agglomerations are increasingly viewed as catalysts for diversified regional growth, integrated rural revitalization, and improved farmer prosperity. However, most studies focus on urban and developed regions, leaving spatial patterns and evolutionary mechanisms in underdeveloped rural areas poorly understood. This study takes Jilin Province,an economically lagging region,as an example, measuring rural tourism agglomeration using spatial analysis methods including the Gini coefficient, nearest-neighbor index, Ripley’s K function, kernel density, and buffer analysis. Results show that agglomeration is significant and strengthening over time, with clear regional variations. All types of rural tourism products exhibit an “increase followed by decrease” pattern across spatial scales, evolving from isolated “nodes”to continuous”areas.”Agglomeration is subject to triple constraints from natural, economic, and social dimensions. This study suggests that high-quality rural tourism development should leverage point–axis spillover from flagship scenic areas, promote surface expansion of characteristic villages and towns, and strengthen network connectivity through roads and talent-information channels. |
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Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Title „Rural tourism agglomeration characteristics and influencing factors in Jilin Province“
Authors Jia Yang , Yangang Fang * , Nianyuan Jiang
- This paper correspond for scope of journal.
- The title corresponds to the content of the paper.
- This study represents significant contribution to estimate the agglomerative development of rural tourism is a key link in responding to the demand for rural tourism, promoting cross-industry integration, implementing efficient utilization of land resources, and driving rural transformation and upgrading in Jilin Province in China.
- This study represents significant contribution to estimate the distribution patterns and evolution of various forms of rural business, such as high-quality rural tourism operators, key villages and towns in rural tourism, and rural household accommodation in spatio-temporal scales, directed to optimizing paths for promoting high-quality rural tourism development in Jilin Province.
- The results showed that in Jilin Province, rural tourism shows a trend of “high polarization and weak diffusion”, indicating a high degree of agglomeration that continues to strengthen, but with uneven development among regions (the central region, the eastern region and the western region)
- The results showed that different types of rural tourism businesses show a distribution of service agglomeration at different spatial scales, i.e. that the distribution of business units and key villages in rural tourism is similar and reaches a maximum intensity of agglomeration at around 130 km, and is limited by transport and market. Also that the intensity of spatial agglomeration is different and reaches a maximum at 19.35 km and that location characteristics affect the stability of customer sources. Among natural conditions, water and land have a significant impact on agglomeration, which is significantly expressed within a 2.5 km buffer zone around water bodies and at an altitude of around 200 m.
- The main objective of this research is to investigate the characteristics and influencing factors of rural tourism agglomeration development in economically underdeveloped areas.
- The main question of paper addressed to research impact of rural tourism agglomeration to optimize the efficiency of resource allocation, and strengthen the competitiveness of regional tourism resources through joint brand building, joint customer sources and joint management, and what is the importance and role in promoting the revitalization of rural areas.
- The aim of research is not clearly presented. The aim of research mast be pointed out at the end of chapter of Introduction as a last paragraph.
- Key words are appropriately chosen!
- Scientific methodology is applied correctly.
- Results are clearly presented and discussed.
- Tables, figures, pictures are clear.
- Conclusions are written on the basis of research results.
- Manuscript is acceptable after minor revisions
Suggestion :
- The abstract needs to be presented in Abstract after the introductory sentence.
- According to the guidelines for writing papers, the Discussion chapter should be before the Conclusion chapter. It is necessary to renumber these two chapters, and the Discussion chapter should be numbered 5, while the Conclusion chapter should be numbered 6.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
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Comments 1: The abstract needs to be presented in Abstract after the introductory sentence. |
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Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment.We have revised the abstract accordingly by removing the numbering and streamlining the content to enhance clarity and conciseness while retaining all key information. (Please see lines 11-25 ):Rural tourism agglomerations are increasingly viewed as catalysts for diversified regional growth, integrated rural revitalization, and improved farmer prosperity. However, most studies focus on urban and developed regions, leaving spatial patterns and evolutionary mechanisms in underdeveloped rural areas poorly understood. This study takes Jilin Province,an economically lagging region,as an example, measuring rural tourism agglomeration using spatial analysis methods including the Gini coefficient, nearest-neighbor index, Ripley’s K function, kernel density, and buffer analysis. Results show that agglomeration is significant and strengthening over time, with clear regional variations. All types of rural tourism products exhibit an “increase followed by decrease” pattern across spatial scales, evolving from isolated “nodes”to continuous”areas.”Agglomeration is subject to triple constraints from natural, economic, and social dimensions. This study suggests that high-quality rural tourism development should leverage point–axis spillover from flagship scenic areas, promote surface expansion of characteristic villages and towns, and strengthen network connectivity through roads and talent-information channels.
Comments 2.According to the guidelines for writing papers, the Discussion chapter should be before the Conclusion chapter. It is necessary to renumber these two chapters, and the Discussion chapter should be numbered 5, while the Conclusion chapter should be numbered 6. Response 2: Thank you for pointing this out.In response to each point, we have carefully revised the manuscript as follows:Firstly,We have moved the discussion section so that it now precedes the conclusion section, thereby ensuring a coherent logical flow. Secondly, We have integrated authoritative, up-to-date literature to contextualize and interpret our key findings from multiple perspectives.Thirdly,The conclusion section has been relocated to the end of the manuscript and condensed into a concise summary of the main findings.In addition, three new sub-sections such as practical recommendations,directions for future research and limitations have been added to provide explicit guidance for subsequent studies.We sincerely appreciate your detailed guidance. If any further improvements are required, please do not hesitate to let us know. (Lines427-481):Discussion. Promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas and facilitating the spatial agglomeration of rural tourism can activate rural resource elements, enhance agricultural labor productivity, and increase farmers' income through multiple channels. This is of great significance for underdeveloped regions to comprehensively promote the rural revitalization strategy[36] and achieve common prosperity for all[37]. Based on existing research, this study uses multi-scale spatial analysis methods to reveal the spatio-temporal pattern, business type differentiation, and formation mechanism of rural tourism agglomeration in Jilin Province. The research finds that the spatial distribution of rural tourism resources shows significant non-equilibrium characteristics under the influence of multiple factors such as natural conditions, economic foundation, and social environment. Overall, rural tourism in Jilin Province exhibits a "high polarization and weak diffusion" trend, indicating a high degree of agglomeration that is continuing to strengthen, albeit with uneven development among regions. The central region, with its advantages in economy, resources, and market, demonstrated a high degree of agglomeration in the early stages of rural tourism development. However, the eastern region has prominent late-mover advantages, and its differences with the central region are gradually decreasing. The agglomeration characteristics of the western region exhibit a leapfrog development trend, but, overall, it is still in the early stages of agglomeration development. The standard deviation between regions has decreased from 0.260 to 0.038, reflecting a gradual transition from spatial differences to coordinated convergence under provincial policy coordination and market environment. Analysis of the agglomeration characteristics of different business types reveals that various rural tourism business types exhibit a service agglomeration distribution across different spatial scales, with a clear "initial increase followed by a decrease" trend. The spatial distribution scales of rural tourism business units and key rural tourism villages are similar, with both reaching their maximum agglomeration intensity at around 130km, indicating that these two business types are constrained by transportation radius and the market neighborhood, exhibiting a layered layout. The spatial agglomeration intensity of rural homestays fluctuates significantly, reaching a peak at 19.35km and forming a double-peak structure (peaks at 115.62km and 155.49km), indicating that homestay location selection is highly sensitive to micro-location, landscape uniqueness, and customer source stability. Analysis of influencing factors indicates that, in terms of natural conditions, the spatial agglomeration of rural tourism in Jilin Province exhibits a pronounced tendency towards water and land proximity, with significant agglomeration characteristics observed within a 2.5km buffer zone around water bodies at an altitude of around 200m. Analysis of economic development levels reveals that economically developed areas can provide rural areas with more diversified tourism products and services, promoting the development of rural tourism agglomeration. When the per capita GDP density is between 20,000 and 50,000 CNY/km² and the density of graded highways reaches 2km/km², the development of rural tourism begins to trend towards agglomeration. Analysis of social environmental factors shows that when the regional urban population density is between 20,000 and 50,000 people/km² and there are between 20 and 40 3A-grade or above scenic spots per km², characteristics of spatial rural tourism agglomeration are evident. In addition, it is necessary to be vigilant about the possible negative effects of excessive agglomeration[38]. Regions such as Changchun and Jilin have entered a high agglomeration plateau period, with resource congestion, environmental pressure, and the risk of homogenization competition gradually emerging; while in the western region, there are still challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, weak brand effect, and talent loss. Moreover, the gentrification trend of rural tourism and its social spatial impact on local communities have not been fully explored in this study, which will be a key focus of our subsequent research. (Lines482-561):Conclusions 5.1 Main Conclusions This study mainly emphasizes the spatial agglomeration characteristics and influencing factors of rural tourism in economically underdeveloped areas, providing important insights for the sustainable development of rural tourism. The main conclusions are as follows: Rural tourism in Jilin Province shows a significant spatial agglomeration trend, with a high overall agglomeration degree that continues to increase. There is a clear regional heterogeneity, with the central region maintaining a high and stable level, the eastern region showing a marginal decrease, and the western region achieving leapfrog development driven by policies. The response scales of multiple business types vary significantly: business units and key villages exhibit a unimodal ring structure, while rural homestays present a bimodal pattern of dependence on both the suburbs and scenic spots. Agglomeration is influenced by three-dimensional factors of nature, economy, and society. The natural conditions dimension shows a significant preference for water and proximity to the ground. The economic level dimension is highly correlated with per capita GDP and road network density. The social environment dimension closely depends on population density and the spatial spillover of high-level scenic spots. 5.2 Suggestions Currently, issues such as uneven spatial distributions, difficulties in integrating emerging rural tourism destinations, and short per capita travel radii are still barriers to rural tourism development in Jilin Province. To address these issues, the following optimization and regulation measures are proposed: â‘ Strengthening of the "point-like" radiation of high-grade scenic spots. The agglomeration effect caused by high-grade scenic spots is an important factor in the geographical spread of rural tourism. Especially in the western region of Jilin Province, where rural tourism is relatively dispersed, tourist sources at high-grade scenic spots should be used to drive the development and revitalization of surrounding rural tourism destinations. For this region in particular, it is possible to use the golden signboards of 5A-level scenic spots such as Chagan Lake and Nenjiang Bay as points to delineate their boundaries. Through measures such as unified identification, joint marketing, and inter-trip sharing, surrounding characteristic villages, towns, rural enterprises, homestays, and agritourism can be incorporated into the rural tourism route system, achieving the "coexistence of scenic spots and villages." â‘¡ Promotion of the "plane-like" expansion of characteristic villages and towns in rural tourism. Analysis of various business elements shows that rural tourism villages and towns have become important players in the development of rural tourism. In contrast to single rural tourism destinations, in rural tourism villages and towns, goals such as the construction of infrastructure, public services, and other support services can be better concentrated on. At the same time, these areas can rely on the power of village (town) governments to attract returning entrepreneurs to participate in rural tourism. Townships with restrictions should be encouraged to formulate special plans for rural tourism development under the unified planning of the town government, coordinating land use, environmental protection, and resource control. Tourism cooperatives should be established at the village level to integrate idle homesteads and abandoned land to build shared homestays and study camps, transforming resources into assets and villagers into shareholders. â‘¢ Strengthening of the "network-like" connectivity of roads. Research shows that the densities of grade roads, population, and per capita GDP are all significantly correlated with rural tourism agglomeration. Therefore, strengthening the connectivity between urban and rural areas, as well as between villages, and improving the economy, information services, and talent flow networks between urban and rural areas can effectively promote the flow and integration of factors between these areas and the development of high-quality rural tourism through the expansion and connectivity of networks. 5.3 Research Limitations and Future Directions Although this study has made certain contributions, several limitations are worth noting. Firstly, the POI data and official directories used in the research may have biases in covering micro and small business entities and emerging business forms. Such data sources tend to focus more on larger and more stable enterprises, which may lead to insufficient representation of non-standardized and seasonal rural tourism business forms. Secondly, the study is based on cross-sectional data, which can reveal the spatial characteristics at a certain point in time but is difficult to fully capture the dynamic evolution process and internal causal mechanisms of rural tourism agglomeration. Thirdly, the study did not fully incorporate in-depth discussions on social and cultural dimensions such as community participation, cultural authenticity, and host-guest relationships, which are important factors influencing the sustainable development and spatial formation of rural tourism. Future research can be further expanded in the following aspects: First, multi-source big data such as social media check-in data, online review information, and mobile phone signaling data can be introduced and combined with traditional geographic data to improve the accuracy and timeliness of business form identification and spatial measurement. Second, long-term tracking studies and multi-case comparisons can be conducted. Through diachronic analysis of rural tourism agglomeration areas at different development stages and in different regional types, their life cycles and evolution mechanisms can be revealed. In addition, particular attention should be paid to the social and spatial reconstruction effects brought about by rural gentrification, and the interaction and competition among external capital, new immigrants, and local communities in tourism development should be explored to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic driving forces and cultural changes behind rural tourism agglomeration. |
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Thank you for implementing the revisions to the text according to my suggestions. I am satisfied with the outcome.
However, I would kindly ask you to enlarge the legend in Figure 1, as it is not sufficiently legible.
Author Response
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Comments 1: Thank you for implementing the revisions to the text according to my suggestions. I am satisfied with the outcome.However, I would kindly ask you to enlarge the legend in Figure 1, as it is not sufficiently legible. |
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Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out.We sincerely apologize for the oversight regarding the legibility of the legend in Figure 1. We have now revised the figure by significantly enlarging the legend and adjusting the layout to enhance clarity. The updated figure ensures that all textual and symbolic elements are clearly distinguishable. We appreciate your helpful feedback, which has greatly improved the quality of our manuscript(Please see line 180). Figure 1. Overview of the research area and spatial distribution of rural tourism resources in Jilin Province
Comments 2: For empirical research, are the results clearly presented?（Can be improved） Response 2: Thank you for pointing this out.We have thoroughly revised the Results section (Section 3) to enhance its structure, clarity, and explanatory depth. The specific improvements are as follows: 1.(Please see Lines213-214)Reorganization of Subsections.We enhance the transitional coherence between paragraphs and subsections to improve readability and overall flow.In section3.1,we added introductory sentence:’To assess the overall spatial concentration of rural tourism resources, we calculated the Gini coefficient and nearest neighbor index annually from 2016 to 2023.” 2.(Please see Lines265-269)Enhanced Explanatory Context.We clarified the methodological approach and its purpose.”To reveal the agglomeration characteristics and evolutionary patterns of different rural tourism business types across multiple spatial scales, we applied Riple’s K function using Crimestat3.3 software. This method allows us to identify significant agglomeration scales and compare spatial patterns across the three business types: key rural tourism enterprises, key villages/towns, and homestays.” 3.(Please see Lines305-309).We added a explicit comparative phrase to enhance cross-format contrast.”In contrast to the unimodal patterns observed for operating units and key villages,the L(t) curve for rural homestays exhibits a distinct inverted M shape, with the first peak appearing early (19.35 km), followed by a rapid decline in the range of 19–94 km, and then double peaks at 115.62 km and 155.49 km. This multi-peak structure indicates that homestay location is characterized by "multi-scale nested" features.”
4.(Please see Lines320-323).We restructured the paragraph to group factors thematically.”To systematically examine the factors influencing agglomeration, we selected indicators across three dimensions: physical geographical factors, economic level, and social development. These factors were chosen based on existing literature [41–42] and their relevance to rural tourism clustering.” |
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The implemented changes have improved and completed the manuscript. In its current form, the paper meets the criteria for publication.
Author Response
We sincerely thank the reviewers for their insightful comments and valuable suggestions. Your constructive feedback has greatly helped us improve the quality and clarity of the manuscript. Thank you once again for your time and effort.
