Based on the evaluation of regional sustainable development and the comprehensive development level of tourism, a coupling coordination model is constructed to study the coupling and coordination development of Beautiful China and tourism, and the coupling and coordination development of the two systems is explored from the perspectives of the overall spatiotemporal evolution, the coupling and coordination development of the Five-sphere Integrated Plan subsystem and tourism, and the coupling coordination degree cluster analysis.
5.3.1. General Spatiotemporal Evolution Analysis
To further explore the coordination relationship between systems, the coupling coordination degree is adopted to analyze the coordination relationship. Except for Ningxia, the coupling degree of each province in 2017 is between 0.8 and 1, which is in the high-level coupling stage. Based on this, we further explore the coordination relationship between the systems and calculate the coupling coordination between the two systems (see
Table 7). In addition, to observe regional differences in the coupling coordination degree among provinces from a more intuitive spatial perspective, QGIS 3.28 is used to display changes in the coupling coordination degree in 2013 and 2017 (see
Figure 5).
As shown in
Figure 5, there are obvious regional differences in the coordination degree of coupling between Beautiful China and the tourism industry system in all provinces and regions of the country. On the whole, the coordination degree is from the intermediate level to the intermediate level. Among the 10 levels of the coordination degree of the coupling degree of the coordination degree, there are 6 levels, showing a decreasing trend from east to west. The relationship between the eastern and central areas is mainly coordinated, and the relationship between the northeastern and western areas is mostly in an imbalanced stage. Among them, the eastern provinces are at a higher level of development of tourism; the two systems present a higher level of coupling and coordination and the two systems are at a benign resonance stage. In the eastern region, the economy is more developed compared to other regions of the country, the overall social development level is higher, and the population is dense, which provides a good condition for the development of tourism. The tourism industry is more mature, and the two systems are closely linked, forming a positive relationship of mutual promotion and coordinated development. In addition, most of the two systems in the central region are in the stage of middling coordination, and the level of beauty and tourism development is at a medium level, and the relationship between the two is in the stage of coordination.
Overall, the coupling coordination degree in the eastern region is at a relatively high level and has remained stable in the past five years; the coupling coordination degree in the central region is at a medium level and has risen slightly in the past five years but has not significantly progressed overall; the coupling coordination degree in the western and northeastern regions is relatively low, among which the coupling coordination degree in the northeastern regions has changed little in the past five years; the coupling coordination relationship between the two major systems is at a low level and stable; the coupling coordination degree in the western regions has been greatly improved; the coupling coordination degree in most provinces has been improved by leaps and bounds; and the coupling coordination degree between Beautiful China and tourism systems has been continuously strengthened but is still in a relatively backwards stage.
5.3.2. Research on the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan Subsystem and Tourism Coupling Coordination Degree
Based on the calculation results, the indices of the Five-sphere Integrated Plan of Beautiful China and the mean value of the Coordination Degree of Tourism Coupling are compared.
Figure 6 shows the mean value of the coordination degree of the Beautiful China subsystem. It can be seen that the tourism coupling coordination degree changed from ecology > society > politics > culture > economy in 2013 to society > ecology > politics > culture > economy in 2017. The coordination degree between subsystem and tourism coupling has improved.
Beautiful China’s Five-sphere Integrated Plan index and the tourism industry of the coupling degree of coordination average ranking reflect Beautiful China and the tourism industry in the coupling degree of coordination. The coupling and coordination of society and tourism rank first, fully illustrating that tourism, as a prominent function of the happiness industry, contributes to a harmonious society. At present, with high-quality development in China, satisfying the people’s needs for a better life is the basis for vigorous development of tourism. The coupling and coordination of ecology and tourism ranked second, reflecting the dual functions of ecology as both the environment and the resource of tourism. The coupling and coordination of politics and tourism ranks third, providing a safe and stable environment for tourism. Culture is the soul of tourism development and the embodiment of soft power, but the display of culture has certain difficulties and processes, and it is also necessary to enhance the role of culture in the integrated development of culture and tourism. The coupling and coordination of economy and tourism ranked last because, on the one hand, the coupling and coordination between economy and tourism needs to be objectively understood. In the past, too much emphasis was attached to the national economy, which led to some misunderstandings: without a strong economy, tourism cannot be developed. However, we can see from a large number of cases in which rural areas have been lifted out of poverty that there is no need for a greater economic contribution, because the original local folk customs are the best scenery and the best tourist attraction. On the one hand, tourism can be successfully developed and meet the needs of local people’s livelihood. Tourism also provides a large number of opportunities for visits to developed areas, though there are not a large number of public parks. On the other hand, in the past few years of development, China has overemphasized the economic contribution of tourism, which has led to excessive investment in tourism in many areas and has partially contributed to operating activities such as an inflated ticket economy or ripping off tourists, resulting in many contradictions in tourism and social development. Therefore, it is not difficult to find that more attention should be given to the social, ecological and cultural functions of tourism. Tourism is both a profit-making and a public welfare industry.
5.3.3. Cluster Analysis of Coupling Compatibility
In view of the coupling coordination relationship between the Beautiful China system as a whole and the Five-sphere Integrated Plan subsystems and tourism, further cluster analysis is performed on the coupling coordination degree between the Beautiful China system and tourism. In this study, the three elements of beauty level, tourism development level and coupling coordination level of two major systems are linked together to comprehensively present the coupling and coordination development of provincial Beautiful China and tourism.
According to the classification standards, in light of the actual situation of all provinces in China, and considering the balance of the region and the reality of development, the three elements are divided into three levels: high, medium and low. Among them, the criteria for dividing “beauty degree” and tourism development level are: the high-quality and good development stage is high level, the intermediate development stage is medium level, the lagging development/primary development stage is low level. The criteria for dividing the coupling coordination degree are: the primary coordination/intermediate coordination stage is high level, the bare coordination stage is medium level, the moderate imbalance/near disorder stage is low level, the high and medium levels are the coordination stage, and the low level is the disorder stage. The situation of coupling and coordinated development of all provinces and regions according to the level of beauty—tourism development level—and the arrangement of the two coupling coordination stages is shown in
Table 8.
First, the high-level coupling coordination type is characterized by double high driving, high coordination, medium high driving and high coordination. Specifically, a high level of beauty and tourism development drives the two systems to achieve a high level of coupling coordination. The two systems achieve balanced and high-quality development and promote the coupling coordination degree to reach a high level. A medium level of beauty and a high level of tourism development can drive provinces to achieve a high level of coordination between the two systems. Individual provinces at the middle level of beauty and tourism development can also drive provinces to achieve a high level of coordination between the two systems.
Second, the moderate level of the coordinated type of coupling shows the characteristics of diversification and differentiation. Specifically, first, there are great differences in the development level of “beauty degree” and tourism between the provinces where the coupling coordination degree is in the middle. The provinces with moderate coupling coordination degrees are mainly located in Central China, and some provinces are located in Western China. There is a large gap between the “beauty degree” and the tourism development level within the provinces; the “beauty degree” is at the medium and low levels. The comprehensive development strength is relatively weak. The tourism development level crosses the high, medium and low stages, and the gap is large. Second, the development of the two systems in some provinces is imbalanced, and there is a large gap between them, which leads to moderate coupling and coordinated development. These provinces include Fujian, Liaoning, Chongqing, Shaanxi and other provinces. Third, the middle-level and low-level balanced development of provincial “beauty degree” and tourism, such as Hubei and Liaoning, promotes the two systems to keep the middle level.
Third, the type of maladjustment most responds to two-wheel drive fatigue. Specifically, contrary to the high-level coupling type of a two-wheel drive, the maladjusted type of most provinces’ “beauty degree” and tourism development are at a low level, with two-wheel drive fatigue. Looking at the provincial cities, this is especially obvious in the western and northeastern regions. Their beauty level and tourism development level are lagging behind and cannot give play to the positive interaction between the two systems.
- 2.
Differences in time variation characteristics
First, from 2013 to 2017, the coordinated development of the coupling between Beautiful China and the tourism system in all provinces fluctuated. The “three high” types continue to lead the country, and the characteristics of sustainable development are obvious. Beauty and tourism have achieved a high level of development in the province and have also maintained a high level of coupling and coordination, leading to the quality of development and provincial sustainable development characteristics. For example, the five provinces of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong have maintained their advantages in development, and the level of beauty and tourism development has been in a leading position in the country. The two systems are at the primary or intermediate level of coupling and coordination, and the two systems have achieved better mutual promotion and coordinated development, with the two developing towards higher quality and sustainable development.
Second, some provinces promote the upgrading of the coupling coordination degree mainly by a single core drive. The development of the coupling and coordination between Beautiful China and the tourism system in some provinces presents the characteristics of single-core driving, among which Sichuan presents the characteristics of Beautiful China driving, and Jiangxi, Guangxi and Guizhou present the characteristics of tourism driving. The promotion of a single system promotes the relationship between the two systems and promotes coupling and coordination between the two systems to allow them to develop in a coordinated and benign way.
Finally, the coupling coordination degree is degraded due to some provincial single-core obstructions. Only a few provinces have the characteristics of mononuclear disorder. For example, Chongqing is characterized by the hindrance of the Beautiful China system. The development level of the tourism industry remains unchanged, and the level of beauty has dropped from medium to low, with a decline of the beauty level reflecting a hindrance related to the coupling and coordination relationship between the two systems.