A Study On The Regional Tourism Spatial Interaction And The Development Paths Of Its Tourism Integration

Regional tourism integration has become the inevitable road for the sustainable development of tourism industry in China. International Culture and Tourism Demonstration Region of South Anhui (ICTDRSA) is the main engine of tourism development in Anhui Province, which development of tourism integration is of demonstration effect for promoting the sustainable tourism economic growth in Anhui. Although theoretical and empirical studies on the regional tourism integration are fruitful, the literature aiming to build the development paths of regional tourism integration in the perspective of gravitational section is relatively few. Hence, this paper takes ICTDRSA as a case to study tourism spatial interaction between different cities in this region and builds the development paths of its tourism integration from the perspective of gravitational section in order to provide a new idea for the development of regional tourism integration.Firstly, in terms of the theory concerning spatial interaction, with the current situation of regional tourism in this region, three basic conditions including the transferability of regional tourism elements, the complementarity of each city’s tourism function and the intervening opportunity in regional tourism development, as well as two major forms of tourism spatial interaction including the tourists and the passengers flow in this region are analyzed.Secondly, the quality and distance indices of tourism spatial interaction model are discussed and amended in this paper. Then, the intensity of tourism spatial interaction between different cities in this region and the tourism attracting scope of the major tourist center cities (Huangshan city, Chizhou city, Wuhu city) are estimated by applying modified tourism spatial interaction model. It can be concluded as follows. (1)The intensity value between Huangshan city and Chizhou city as well as Huangshan city and Xuancheng city are higher than Huangshan city and other cities. The total intensity value (1:193) of Huangshan city is relatively low. It cannot play the driving role as the first tourist center city. (2) The intensity value (1.586) between Chizhou city and Anqing city ranks the first position in this region. Because the two cities display the high affiliated relations mutually in tourism economy, they should be clustered. The intensity value (0.452) of Chizhou city and Tongling city ranks the third position in this region. In virtue of geographical location and the high comprehensive index of tourism centrality, the total intensity value (3.049) of Chizhou city ranks the first position in this region.(3) The intensity value (1.012) between Wuhu city and Maanshan city ranks the second position in this region. Because the two cities have good foundation of urban integration in tourism, they should be clustered. With convenient traffic location and being good at seizing the intervening opportunity in regional tourism development, the intensity value between Wuhu city and the high-level tourist center cities (Huangshan city, Chizhou city, Anqing city) is generally high. (4) Xuancheng city belongs to the tourism attracting scope of Huangshan city. Tongling city belongs to the tourism attracting scope of Chizhou city.Finally, on the basis of analysis concerning tourism spatial interaction in this region, the "growth triangle" pattern of tourism spatial integration is constructed, which are "three poles driving, three areas cooperating, and three belts interacting", Based on the above, the development paths of regional tourism integration in the perspective of gravitational section are putted forward from two aspects which are optimal allocation of regional tourism elements and convenient circulation of regional tourism elements.