Spatial Distribution and Accessibility Evaluation of National Water Parks in China

Abstract

A water park is a nature-based site along a river or water management project that plays a vital role in protecting the local ecological system and providing water recreation, making it an essential component of China’s ecological and ecotourism security strategy. This study sought to portray the distribution of China’s 878 National Water Parks (NWPs) and to visualize the pattern of accessibility for NWP resources by the gravity-2SFCA method. The investigation produced the following findings: (1) The national-scale pattern of ecotourism and water recreation can be revealed by the distribution of NWPs, which were concentrated on the eastern side of the “Hu Line” but were dispersed on the western side. (2) NWPs can function as detectors of various endowment and management modes of basin-scaled water resources through the relationship between different categories of NWPs and their locations, which can provide guidance for regional planners. (3) The accessibility of NWPs is an effective indicator for revealing spatial disparity between the supply of NWP resources and the population distribution. Then, the general NWP development strategy can be made based on a hot-spot visualization analysis of accessibility patterns.

Analysis of the Spatial Pattern and Influencing Factors of Tourist Attractions in the Yellow River Tourism Belt

“…In contrast, domestic research places greater emphasis on the spatial distribution of attractions and their temporal dynamics. Nevertheless, there has been relatively limited exploration into the spatial patterns [3][4][5] and influencing factors of tourist attractions along the Yellow River Tourism Belt. This study is of great significance for optimizing the layout of tourism industry along the Yellow River, improving the allocation of factors, and promoting the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.…”