Composite System for the Coupling Degree of Tourism Industry and Regional Ecological Environment: A Case Study of Henan Province, China

摘要

Tourism is a worldwide industry, but the per capita share of tourism resources in China is relatively small, and the capacity of the tourism environment is limited. Achieving economic growth in tourism and preserving tourism resources and the ecological environment are the premise and guarantee of tourism’s sustainable development under the constraints of tourism resources and ecological environment. By calculating the coupling degree of the tourism industry and regional ecological environment, the coupling degree of the regional economy and environment in a particular area can be effectively determined, and a basis for promoting the coordinated development of tourism and ecological environment can be provided. Taking Henan Province as an example, this study establishes a comprehensive evaluation system of the coupling degree between the tourism industry and regional ecological environment system, and uses the coupling model to analyse the coupling status of the two subsystems in Henan Province, and proposes policy suggestions to promote the coupling development of the two subsystems. Results show that the tourism subsystem of Henan Province increased from 0.024 in 2010 to 0.862 in 2016, and the order degree of the ecological subsystem rose from 0.070 in 2010 to 0.770 in 2016. The orderliness of the eco-environment subsystem is less than that of the tourism subsystem, indicating that further improvement of the eco-environment in Henan Province is still possible. The coupling degree of the tourism industry and regional ecological environment showed an increasing trend annually from 0.169 in 2011 to 0.766 in 2016 and exhibited a particularly large increase in 2013. This study’s results can provide a theoretical reference for understanding the coordinated development between the tourism industry and regional ecological environment, promoting the coupling between them, and enhancing the sustainable tourism industry of Henan Province.