Spatial Dynamics of Environmental Efficiency in Tourism: A Stochastic Frontier and Spatial Durbin Investigation

Incorporating carbon dioxide emissions in tourism efficiency measurement is crucial for promoting sustainable tourism development. This paper uses panel data on 30 provinces in China from 2008 to 2019, stochastic frontier analysis, and a projection pursuit model to calculate the tourism environmental efficiency (EE) of each province. Moreover, a spatial Durbin model is used to evaluate the influence of various factors on tourism EE and its spatial spillover effect. The results show the decline of tourism EE in China, with pronounced regional variations. Notably, central and eastern China experienced substantial declines, while the western region saw the smallest decrease. Enhanced urbanization, economic openness, and tourism industry improvements bolster EE sustainability. Conversely, higher education levels, environmental regulation, and transport infrastructure hinder EE progress. Positive spatial spillovers from forest cover and environmental regulations contrast with negative effects from technological innovation and transport infrastructure. In the context of global warming, tourism management need to plan and utilize tourism resources more scientifically to ensure the sustainable use of tourism resources. Meanwhile, more consideration should be given to the factors that have a negative impact on tourism in order to promote sustainable tourism development.