Spatio-temporal pattern and influencing factors of border tourism efficiency in China

In recent years, tourism has emerged as a significant driver of economic development in China's border regions. The study utilizes various methods, such as the super-efficiency SBM model, spatial variability, cold and hot spot analysis, and Geo-Detector approach, to measure and describe the spatial and temporal evolution patterns of land border tourism efficiency and its influencing factors. The findings reveal that the Dai autonomous prefecture of Xishuangbanna has the highest border tourism efficiency of 1.6207, while Ngari prefecture has the lowest tourism efficiency with a value of only 0.0365 at the prefecture level during the period 2010-2019. The southwest and northwest regions of China are high- and low-level agglomeration areas respectively, indicating varying levels of border tourism development. Additionally, the study identifies an upward trend in China's border tourism efficiency from 2010-2019. The southwest region emerges as a hotspot and the most active region, while the northwest and northeast regions are considered cold spots with ample room for improvement. Furthermore, the density of transportation facilities, national vulnerability, cultural proximity, the number of border ports, and market opportunity are crucial factors influencing the spatial and temporal pattern of border tourism efficiency in China.