Beach economy of a coastal tourist city in China: A case study of Xiamen

摘要

Beaches are important tourism resources in coastal areas and have become the preferred destinations for coastal tourism. For scientific management of beach resources, the economic benefits of beach nourishment and beach tourism should be evaluated. Therefore, using Xiamen as a case study, this study reviews beach nourishment actions, establishes a model to quantify the beach tourism economy; thus, it analyzes beach tourism's economic contributions to Xiamen's overall economy to contribute to the literature on scientific management of beach resources and tourism development. During the period between 2012 and 2018, the total beach tourism revenue increased from 9.718 billion yuan to 25.238 billion yuan, increasing by a factor of nearly 2.6 over 6 years. In 2018, beach tourism directly contributed 10.091 billion yuan to Xiamen's gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 2.11% of Xiamen's GDP; the comprehensive contribution was 31.559 billion yuan, accounting for 6.63% of Xiamen's GDP in 2018. Beach tourism has boosted related industries in Xiamen's economy. Meanwhile, over the past few years in Xiamen, the income elasticity coefficient of beach tourism demand has been greater than 1, indicating a relatively high-income elasticity of demand. After analyzing the economic contributions from coastal tourism in Xiamen, this study proposes that beach tourism can be promoted through beach management and beach nourishment. The development of coastal tourism is a feasible strategy for enhancing the regional economy, and coastal tourism is conducive to improving the economic structure in Xiamen.