The Sustainable Development Degree of Regional Tourism Industry Responding to the Low-carbon Economy: A Case Study From Western Hunan, China

Abstract

The sustainable development degree of regional tourism industry responding to the low-carbon economy reflects the comprehensive ability of the scientific development of regional tourism industry. Based on the factors influencing the sustainable development degree of regional tourism industry, in the principle of low-carbon economy, the evaluation index system was established using the literature and experts consultation methods. The system consisted of four parts including tourism resource system, environment supporting system, tourism economic system, and facility supporting system. Meanwhile, the hierarchical accumulation from bottom to top was utilized to evaluate the sustainable development degree of tourism industry responding to the low-carbon economy in western Hunan, China. The evaluation results demonstrated that the overall development degree of tourism industry responding to the low-carbon economy in western Hunan was 0.596 in 2012, which belonged to the medium level of sustainable development. The sustainable development degree of tourism industry responding to the low-carbon economy in western Hunan during 2001-2012 exhibited a rising tendency at a slow growth speed. This period belongs to the transitional period on the whole and is characterized by unbalanced regional development.