Assessing the Combined Effects of Transportation Infrastructure on Regional Tourism Development in China Using a Spatial Econometric Model (GWPR)

Transportation infrastructure plays an important role in tourism, and the spatial econometric model (GWPR) can offer quantitative support for regionalized development policies in transportation infrastructure. Panel data from 30 provinces were collected for a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that the GWPR model is a superior tool for assessing the combined impact of transportation infrastructure on tourism and its spatial heterogeneity. The effects of transportation infrastructure on tourism have historically been overwhelmingly positive, with the positive effect of high-speed rail expanding over the decade, while the positive effect of air travel contracted. The combined effects of transportation infrastructure vary across space and time. Additionally, the evolution of the effects exhibits spatial heterogeneity. The 30 provinces in this study are categorized into five types, and targeted implementation strategies for transportation infrastructure are formulated