Spatial Tourism Equilibrium Development in the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Area

Metropolitan area is one of the most important regions for tourism development;the study of metropolitan area tourism development is very significant.The purpose of this paper is to investigate the spatial tourism equilibrium development of the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area since 1990 and explore its development mechanism.Using methods of location quotient with selecting five time sections,the result shows that: the number of cities with location quotient more than or equal to 1 is increasing.The average percentage of tourism revenue and tourist number of cities with location quotient more than or equal to 1 of the whole metropolitan area is 19.76% in 2000,and then decreases to 12.83% in 2008.It shows that the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area tourism development tends to be equilibrium;spatial tourism equilibrium development is strengthened over time,although there is difference between inbound tourism and domestic tourism,or between tourism revenue and tourist number.In fact,the tendency of the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area spatial tourism equilibrium development is a fluctuated process.Using methods of the hierarchical clustering and selecting related statistical data in 2007 to inspect situation of tourism spatial development,it is found that there are three levels of cities in the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area;Guangzhou and Shenzhen are at the first level,Zhuhai and Dongguan are at the second level and Foshan,Huizhou,Jiangmen,Zhongshan and Zhaoqing are at the third level.Finally,by using the spatial interaction theory,this paper explores the mechanism of spatial tourism proportional development of the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area based on the principal of complementarity,accessibility and alternativity.The conditions of spatial interaction are improved,which strengthen the spatial tourism interaction of all cities in the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area and their relationship with tourism development.Although the spatial tourism equilibrium development of the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area depends on many internal and external environments,the strong spatial interaction influences the development of tourism destination and choices of tourists,and makes the tourism development throughout the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area to be equilibrium.