Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of the Coordinated Development between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security

Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of the Coordinated Development between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of the Coordinated Development between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security B. Zhou, F. Xiao, H. Yu, H. Li This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Currently, the lack of a scientifically effective evaluation framework for measuring the interactive impact between the tourism industry and ecological security has hindered the policy understanding of green transformation in tourist destinations. Taking Zhejiang Province in China as an example, this study innovatively constructs an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security. The findings are as follows: The TECE (Tourism - Ecological Coupling and Coordination) index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological security. The TECE index exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity and is closely related to pressure indicators such as population and economic factors. The development of ecological industries is conducive to the promotion of the TECE index, while the expansion of the population and economic scale is not conducive to the stable development of TECE. The main obstacle factors mainly include per capital water resources, per capital forest land area, tourism foreign exchange income, inbound tourist reception, and improvement components such as star - rated hotels and travel agencies. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism and provides a scientific reference for the development of regional green transformation. Business and commerce/Economics Social science/Geography tourism industry ecological security coordinated coupling degree spatiotemporal evolution obstacle factors Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 1. Introduction Ecological security refers to a state where the structure, functions, and ecological processes of an ecosystem are free from threats(Costanza, R., 1995 ; Robert et al., 2005). It can continuously provide the resource consumption and livelihood well - being required by natural systems and human society (Pimentel et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2023 ). Moreover, it can reduce the frequency of natural disasters, enhance the ability to resist environmental pressures and risks (Li et al., 2021 ; Lyu et al., 2022 ), and ensure the sustainability of the regional economic - social system (Cheng et al., 2022 ). The vulnerability and resilience of ecosystems have been regarded as key factors influencing the sustainable development of the tourism industry (Calgaro et al., 2014 ; Aznar - Crespo et al., 2020). If an ecosystem lacks resilience after a disaster event, it will directly lead to a decrease in the number of tourists and the decline of the tourism industry (Ichinosawa, 2006 ; Cumming, 2011 ; Romão, 2021 ).Nevertheless, research on the coupling and synergy between the tourism industry and ecological security remains weak. On the one hand, there is a lack of theoretical elaboration on the internal mechanism of the coupling between the tourism industry and ecological security. On the other hand, there is also a lack of quantitative analysis of scientific indicator evaluation based on this. As a result, it restricts the scientific understanding of the development characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of the Tourism - Ecological - Security - Coupling (TECE). Therefore, there is a lack of understanding of the main obstacle factors and targeted solutions in the precise implementation of policies. Globally, the tourism industry has become increasingly crucial as an engine for economic growth and job creation (UNWTO, 2019). However, its rapid expansion often exerts non - negligible pressures and damages on local ecosystems (Baloch, Q. B et al., 2023). To achieve the long - term prosperity and healthy development of tourist destinations, it is essential to strike a balance between the expansion of the tourism industry and ecological security, meeting the requirements of coordinated economic, social, and environmental development advocated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many popular tourist destinations are often located in ecologically sensitive or fragile areas, and their ecosystems are characterized by uniqueness, vulnerability, and irreplaceability (Debarbieux, B etal., 2014 ; Stavros, S, etal., 2016 ; Chen & Xu, 2022 ). Nevertheless, over - development or improper utilization can undermine their ecological functions and damage the foundation of tourism resources (Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Buckley, 2012). A series of negative environmental issues have emerged during the rapid development of the tourism industry(Hunter, 1997 ), such as water pollution (Gössling et al., 2012 ), over - consumption of forest resources (Nepstad et al., 2006 ), reduction in wetland area (Zedler & Kercher, 2005 ), destruction of wildlife habitats (Kareiva & Marvier, 2012), and exacerbation of soil erosion and geological disasters (Pimentel & Burgess, 2013). These issues have, to a large extent, threatened the ecological and environmental security of tourist destinations. 2. Literature Review 2.1 The Impact of Tourism on the Ecological Environment Under the traditional linear impact model of "tourism - environment", both the positive and negative effects of tourism on the environment have received considerable attention (Ehigiamusoe, 2020 ). Some scholars have proposed an "adaptive paradigm for sustainable tourism", which analyzes the potential environmental problems that may occur at various stages of tourism development (Bramwell, 2015 ). Gössling et al. ( 2002 ) also conducted a quantitative study on the negative impacts of tourism on ecosystems from two dimensions: resource consumption and environmental pollution. They emphasized the potential pressure of high - intensity tourism activities on the water resources and biodiversity of destinations. Since tourism development can have an impact on the biodiversity of nature reserves and the fragile ecosystems, the academic community has gradually formed a research hotspot of "ecotourism" (Das & Chatterjee, 2015 ). Its core lies in promoting the enhancement of tourists' environmental awareness through high - quality natural experiences and environmental education, so as to achieve the protection and rational utilization of the ecosystems at tourist destinations.Weaver ( 2001 ) systematically expounded on the positive significance and potential threats of ecotourism in sensitive areas from the aspects of the concept, forms, and development paths of ecotourism, emphasizing the crucial role of community participation and stakeholder collaboration in maintaining the sustainability of ecotourism. Subsequent studies have further focused on the comprehensive benefits of ecotourism in poverty alleviation, community development, and environmental education (Buckley, 2009 ; Kibria, 2021; Cook, 2024 ). Moreover, the rise of environmental ethics has led the academic community to explore how to guide and regulate the environmental behaviors of tourists, tourism enterprises, and destination governments from the perspectives of soft constraints such as values and moral constraints. Based on environmental ethics and the development of ecotourism, Fennell ( 2006 ) proposed an ethical decision - making framework in the process of ecotourism management, providing a moral foundation for regulating tourism behaviors. Meanwhile, issues related to environmental justice and the distribution of tourism benefits have also started to attract the attention of researchers (Holden, 2003 ). 2.2 The Impact of the Ecological Environment on Tourism With the intensification of global climate change and ecosystem succession, the "counter - force" of the ecological environment on tourism activities has become increasingly evident. In particular, the reduction of biodiversity may have far - reaching impacts on ecotourism and sightseeing tourism. The priority of biodiversity conservation needs to be aligned with that of climate change response to avoid catastrophic consequences for the tourism industry (Hall, 2010 ). Against this backdrop, examining the tourism industry from the perspectives of climate policy and carbon reduction not only reveals the severe challenges it faces in the context of environmental change but also indicates the potential opportunities for its low - carbon transformation, suggesting that the industry needs to strike a balance between environmental protection and sustainable development (Gössling and Scott, 2018 ). The impact of natural disasters on the tourism industry has gradually attracted widespread attention. The vulnerability and resilience of ecosystems have been regarded as key factors affecting the sustainable development of the tourism industry (Calgaro. etal., 2014; Aznar - Crespo. etal., 2020). If a fragile ecosystem lacks sufficient resilience after a disaster event, it will directly lead to a decrease in the number of tourists and the decline of the tourism industry (Ichinosawa, 2006 ). Therefore, the resilience of ecosystems is not only related to the attractiveness of tourist destinations but also closely linked to the long - term development of the tourism industry (Cumming, 2011 , Romão, 2021 ). This indicates that in the future, ecological vulnerability and natural risk management must be incorporated into long - term strategic considerations to enhance the ability of destinations to respond to environmental changes and ensure the sustainable development of the tourism industry. 2.3 In - depth Research on the Relationship between Tourism and the Ecological Environment Against the backdrop of the high - quality development of tourism, the concept of "tourism ecological efficiency" has introduced input - output efficiency analysis. By comprehensively measuring the economic output of tourism and environmental costs, it has become an important tool for evaluating the green development level of the tourism industry. Based on this, some research has applied the SBM - DEA model to analyze the characteristics and evolution of the ecological efficiency of tourist destinations. The results show that the ecological efficiency has been continuously improving, and there are correlations among different efficiencies. Among them, tourism development has a positive impact on ecological efficiency, while the investment level may have a negative effect (Peng et al., 2017 ).Meanwhile, the research results of the DEA - Tobit model have revealed the differences in the impacts of economic and ecological indicators on ecological efficiency (Liu et al., 2017 ). Such research provides a scientific basis for managers in optimizing resource allocation and formulating ecological compensation policies, emphasizing the guiding role of ecological efficiency in the sustainable development of tourism. With the increasing prominence of "ecological security" in the fields of environmental science and regional science, the assessment of tourism ecological security has gradually emerged as a new research hotspot. Some scholars took the ecological protection and development area in Beijing as an example to conduct research on tourism ecological security (ESTI). They found that the main factors influencing ESTI are response factors related to government decision - making actions, and environmental and tourism economic development indicators have a significant impact (Tang et al, 2018 ).Furthermore, the integration of the "DPSIR" model and data envelopment analysis has further refined the assessment framework and methods for tourism ecological security, indicating that regional tourism ecological security is directly or indirectly affected by multiple factors (Ma et al., 2021 ). In addition, in recent years, the rise of the concept of "resilience" in the field of social - ecological systems has provided a new perspective for understanding the relationship between tourism and the ecological environment. When analyzing the relationship between tourism economy and ecological resilience, research shows that there are multiple spatial agglomeration patterns between them, along with spatial spillover effects and spatial misalignment phenomena. Enhancing ecological resilience has become a key path for the sustainable development of tourism (Wang et al., 2025 ).Other research has found that the degree of coupling and coordination between the tourism economy and ecological resilience in the Yangtze River Delta region has been gradually increasing, with significant spatial agglomeration and a "club convergence" phenomenon (He et al., 2024 ). Overall, these studies have elucidated the complex interactions between tourism and the ecological environment from different dimensions, providing diverse theoretical supports and practical paths for achieving sustainable tourism development. Although certain progress has been made in the current research on the relationship between tourism and the ecological environment, the following research gaps still exist: (i) There is a relative lack of research on the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security. Existing studies lack a systematic interpretation of the internal mechanisms of the coupling between the tourism industry and ecological security. In particular, the laws of change in the interactive relationship at different stages of tourism development remain unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to further reveal the coupling and coordination evolution paths and key driving factors between the tourism industry and ecological security at different development stages. (ii) Research on spatial heterogeneity and scale effects is insufficient. This is mainly manifested in insufficient attention to the heterogeneous characteristics of the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security at a macro - scale, making it difficult to reveal the evolution laws in multi - scale spaces. Thus, more systematic research on spatiotemporal evolution characteristics at a macro - regional scale is needed. (iii) There is a lack of systematic identification of obstacle factors and governance paths. Currently, there is a lack of quantitative identification in the research on the obstacle factors of the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security. In addition, existing studies have not yet proposed clear governance paths and policy recommendations on how to eliminate or reduce the impact of obstacle factors to promote the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security. Based on the above - mentioned research gaps, this study takes Zhejiang Province, China as an example. Focusing on the scientific issue of the coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security, by constructing an evaluation index system and using methods such as the linear weighted model, coupling coordination degree model, trend analysis, and obstacle degree model, the following scientific questions are intended to be addressed: What is the internal mechanism of the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security? At the macro - regional scale, what are the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and main driving factors of the coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security? What are the main obstacle factors in the coupling and coordination process?The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate and deeply analyze the coupling and coordination level between the tourism industry and ecological security, clarify its spatial heterogeneity and scale effects, systematically identify the main obstacle factors for the coordinated development of coupling, expand the application of the coupling and coordination theory in tourism ecology, and put forward practical policy recommendations. This can provide valuable references for the sustainable development of the tourism industry and ecological security management in similar regions worldwide. 3. Research Design 3.1 Overview of case sites Zhejiang Province is located on the southeastern coast of China and the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. It is characterised by a variety of ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, lakes, oceans and islands, and thus possesses significant natural resources and environmental advantages for tourism development. In the contemporary era, tourism has become an important industry for the promotion of the process of new urbanization in Zhejiang Province and the high-quality construction of the common prosperity demonstration area. In 2022, Zhejiang Province received 375 million domestic tourists, generating domestic tourism revenue of 598.2 billion yuan. It also received 221,000 inbound tourists and recorded tourism foreign exchange earnings of 122 million U.S. dollars, further consolidating its strategic pillar industry status. Nevertheless, due to an absence of comprehension regarding green development, follow the traditional development concept and way of inertia still exists, tourism resources utilization efficiency needs to be improved, tourism economy excessive ecosystem degradation situation, ecosystem anti-interference ability is weak, high ecological environment heterogeneity, the tourism industry and ecological security maintenance inadequate imbalance. The "14th Five-Year" Development Plan of Zhejiang Tourism Industry clearly indicates that the implementation of the ecological civilization strategy will be actively promoted, and that there is a need for the ecological construction of tourism. Therefore, taking Zhejiang Province as a case case, it is of typical significance to explore the coupling and coordinated development of tourism industry and ecological security and its obstacle factors to promote the high-quality development of tourism industry and the construction of ecological civilization. 3.2 Theoretical basis of coupling The concept of coupling was initially developed within the field of physics to denote the phenomenon in which multiple systems or forms of motion interact with each other (Sheng et al., 2009).The evolution of the tourism industry exerts a profound influence on various aspects of destination development and utilization, encompassing the sustainable use of resources, environmental quality and risk management, ecosystem health and services, and biodiversity. This influence is exerted through a multitude of mechanisms, including facility construction, resource consumption, waste emission, natural landscape modification, policy influence, and public participation. In response to these impacts, the concept of eco-safety emerges, aiming to provide a high-quality ecological environment and natural landscape, thereby reducing environmental and disaster risks, and enhancing ecological service functions.The coupling relation between the tourism industry and ecological safety is illustrated in Fig. 2. The tourism industry is dependent on numerous natural resources,the influx of tourists and the expansion of tourism facilities have exacerbated resource consumption and environmental stress, which can lead to environmental pollution and ecosystem degradation (Han & Li, 2019 ). The construction and operation of tourism infrastructure directly disrupts the environment, such as land development and habitat loss, which destroys the structure and function of the ecosystem (Gazta, 2018 ).Recreational activities have changed the supply of ecosystem services in tourist destinations, affecting functions such as water conservation, air purification, and soil retention, and having a negative impact on biodiversity (Kyara et al., 2022 ).Meanwhile,the development of sustainable tourism models and effective environmental management policies are crucial in reducing the negative impact on the environment. Through environmental policies, sustainable tourism practices, and environmental monitoring, it is possible to enhance the ecological safety of the tourism destination (Khan et al., 2020 ). The ecological safety of tourism sites exerts a significant feedback and moderating effect on the tourism industry. First, the presence of favorable ecological safety not only enhances the attractiveness of tourism resources and product competitiveness, but also provides a solid foundation for the development of the tourism industry (Ma et al., 2023 ). Furthermore, it offers high-quality landscape visual effects and optimal eco-tourism experiences, which can improve tourists' satisfaction and willingness to revisit, thereby enhancing the quality of industrial development (Wang & Zhang, 2023). Secondly, the maintenance of ecological safety reduces the operational risks and management costs of tourism by reducing environmental risks and emergencies, thereby enhancing the scale of the tourism industry and its resilience to risks (Liu et al., 2022 ). Furthermore, the enhancement of ecological safety in tourism sites has been shown to improve environmental quality and ecological service functions, including air purification, water conservation, and soil protection,optimize the tourism industry environment and sustainable development potential (Zhao & Guo, 2022 ).Scientific ecological management and policy regulation have been demonstrated to facilitate the harmonious development of ecological security and the tourism industry, thereby promoting the realization of sustainable tourism development goals (Wang et al., 2021 ). 3.3 Evaluation Indicators 3.3.1 Evaluation indicators of the tourism industry The present study is founded on extant research on coupled evaluation models (Zhou et al., 2019 ; He et al., 2024 ), in conjunction with the actual situation of the tourism industry in the case area,to evaluate the development of the tourism industry using four dimensions: industrial economic performance, industrial factor composition, industrial development potential, and industrial innovation capacity. Industrial performance is defined as the economic results and competitiveness performance of an industry within a specified period, achieved through resource allocation, technological innovation, and market competition (Jorgenson et al., 2005 ). It reflects a comprehensive assessment of an industry's performance in terms of economic growth, resource allocation, technological progress, market competitiveness, and sustainable development. In this study, the following indicators are employed to measure the industry's economic performance: domestic tourism revenue, tourism foreign exchange income, domestic tourists reception, inbound tourists reception, travel agency business income, and star-rated hotel business income. The tourism industry encompasses not only the service sectors that engage directly with tourists, such as travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, and attractions, but also the industries that provide indirect support to these services, including transportation, culture and entertainment, retail, and public facilities (Leiper, 2008 ).Limited to the availability of data, the number of travel agencies, number of star-rated hotels, number of travel agency employees, and star-rated hotel employees, which are elements of the industry, were selected as evaluation indicators for this study. The development potential of the tourism industry refers to the possibility of growth and development of the tourism industry through market expansion, resource development, technological innovation and policy support in the future (Dwyer & Kim, 2003 ; Ritchie & Crouch, 2000 ).This study uses the growth rate of domestic tourism income, tourism foreign exchange income, the number of domestic tourists and the number of inbound tourists as the evaluation indicators to measure the potential of the tourism industry in Zhejiang Province. Industrial innovation refers to the process of upgrading industries and enhancing competitiveness through the adoption of new technologies, processes, products, or business models, including aspects such as technological innovation, management innovation, service innovation, and market innovation (Chesbrough, 2003 ). Innovation capacity is the driving force behind the high-quality development of the tourism industry. Based on existing research (He et al.), this study uses the full-time equivalent of tourism R&D (Research and Development) and the proportion of tourism R&D expenditure as a share of total government expenditure to measure innovation capacity (Wang & Li, 2022 ). Specifically, the full-time equivalent of tourism R&D is represented by the product of the R&D full-time equivalent and the proportion of total tourism revenue to GDP, while tourism R&D expenditure is represented by the product of R&D expenditure and the proportion of total tourism revenue to GDP. Table 1 Evaluation index of tourism industry and ecological safety System Level The Standard Layer Index layer Unit Index Interpretation Tourism industry (A) Industrial economic performance Domestic tourism revenue: A1 100 million Reaction the direct economic output generated by domestic tourism industry Tourism foreign exchange income A2 Billions of dollars It reflects the contribution of the international tourism industry to the foreign exchange reserves Domestic tourist reception volume A3 Thousands of people To evaluate the intensity of domestic demand and the industrial scale of the tourism industry Entry-bound visitor reception capacityA 4 Ten thousand person-time It reflects the market size of the inbound industry and the global tourism attraction of the destination Travel agency operating incomeA 5 Ten thousand yuan Reflect the economic scale and profitability of the travel agency industry Star-rated hotel operating incomeA 6 Ten thousand yuan Reflect the economic scale and profitability of the star hotel industry Industrial elements Number of travel agenciesA 7 Unit Reflects the scale and market competition status of the travel agency industry. Number of star hotelsA 8 Unit Displays the tourism reception capacity and the scale of star - rated hotels. Number of travel agency employeesA 9 Person Reflects the human resource scale and employment contribution of the travel agency industry. Star-rated hotel employeesA 10 Person Reflects the human resource scale and employment contribution of the star - rated hotel industry. Industrial development potential Growth rate of domestic tourism revenueA 11 % Reveal the annual expansion speed of the domestic tourism industry scale Growth rate of tourism foreign exchange revenueA 12 % It reflects the growth rate of the size of the inbound tourism market and the capacity of foreign exchange revenue generation The growth rate of domestic touristsA 13 % Reflect the activity degree and growth dynamics of the domestic tourism market The growth rate of the number of inbound touristsA 14 % Reflect the international competitiveness and attraction of the tourism industry Industrial innovation ability Travel R & D full-time equivalentA 15 Thousands of people Understand and evaluate the intensity of resources invested in the tourism industry in research and development The proportion of tourism R & D expenditureA 16 % To represent the importance the government attaches to tourism research and development investment and innovative development 3.3.2 Ecological security evaluation indicators In the context of the continuous degradation of global ecosystems, the establishment of an evaluation framework for ecological security assessment has emerged as a focal point in academic research (Kostyack et al., 2011 ). Among various assessment models, the Pressure-State-Response (PRS) model, proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), quantifies the pressures exerted on the environment by human activities to evaluate alterations in the environmental state and examines the responses of society and government, aiming to achieve environmental management and sustainable development objectives (OECD, 1993 ). The PRS model has been extensively employed to appraise the ecosystem security of tourist destinations and its evolutionary trajectory. It can systematically disclose the impacts of human tourism economic activities on ecosystems and the feedback mechanisms within the ecosystems themselves, thereby furnishing a scientific foundation for guiding ecological protection and management decisions in tourist destinations. Consequently, it has been widely utilized in studies monitoring and assessing the ecological conditions and changes in tourist destinations (Tsaur et al., 2006 ; Liu et al., 2006; Liu et al., 2019 ). In light of the foregoing, with the intention of effectively evaluating the ecological security situation in Zhejiang Province, a comprehensive organization and summarization of the PSR (Pressure-State-Response) model framework for ecological security has been carried out. Precisely, the "Pressure" dimension pertains to the direct or indirect influences that human social and economic activities impose on ecosystems and the natural environment. This encompasses aspects such as environmental pollution, excessive exploitation of resources, and alterations in land use patterns, all of which possess the potential to precipitate a deterioration in environmental quality or inflict harm on the well-being of the ecosystem (Steffen et al., 2015 ). The "State" aspect represents the existing condition of an ecosystem or ecological environment, mirroring the specific manifestations of environmental quality and the health status of the ecosystem (Cheng et al., 2023 ). The "Response" component refers to the measures and actions implemented by society, the government, and relevant institutions in reaction to the changes observed in the pressures and states of the ecosystem or environment (Liu et al., 2015 ). These responses are designed to mitigate or eradicate the existing pressures and to rehabilitate and enhance the environmental state (Wang et al., 2020 ). On the basis of this framework, a set of 16 indicators has been meticulously selected for the assessment of the ecological security of Zhejiang Province, adhering to the principles of scientific rigor, reliability, and comprehensiveness (Table 2). Table 2 Evaluation index ecological safety System Level The Standard Layer Index Layer Unit Index Interpretation Ecological Safety (B) Pressure Per capita GDP growth rateB 1 % To measure the direct impact of economic growth on natural resource consumption Natural population growth rateB 2 % To assess the potential pressures on ecosystems from population growth Urbanization levelB 3 % The pressure of urban expansion and population growth on the ecosystem and resource consumption Total wastewater dischargeB 4 Ten thousand tons To measure the pressure of social and economic development on the water ecological environment Total SO2 emissionsB 5 Ten thousand tons To evaluate the impact of industrial development on air quality and the degree of air pollution Solid waste discharge amountB 6 Ten thousand tons Reacting the pressure of industrial production and human life on the ecological environment State Percentage of forest coverB 7 % Reacting ecosystem service functions and biodiversity levels Green garden areaB 8 m 2 To evaluate the level of urban greening and its mitigation on urban heat island effect Per capita park green space areaB 9 m 2 To evaluate the quality of urban ecological environment and the living quality of urban residents Water resources per capitaB 10 m 3 Is to assess the richness and safety level of water resources Per capita arable land areaB 11 Hectare Food production potential and food supply security of land resources Per Capita Forest Land AreaB 12 Hectare Reflect carbon storage capacity and biodiversity protection functions. Response Urban Domestic Sewage Treatment Rate (B13) % Evaluate urban sewage treatment capacity and water quality safety. Domestic Garbage Harmless Treatment Rate (B14) % Evaluate the effectiveness of domestic garbage management and residents' living quality. Solid Waste Comprehensive Utilization Rate (B15) % Evaluate the waste management level and the resource recycling efficiency Proportion of Environmental Protection Expenditure in GDP (B16) % To measure the economic commitment and environmental importance to environmental protection 3.4Measurement models 3.4.1 Linear weighting model Since the linear weighting model is characterized by simplicity and ease of operation (Chang et al, 2020 ), it was applied to measure the tourism industry development index It and ecological security index Ie of Zhejiang Province, and the computational model is shown in Eq. (1). In order to eliminate the errors caused by the difference in the scale and reduce the impact of subjectivity on the quantitative results of the data, the weights of the evaluation indexes were calculated using the mean square deviation method. $$\:I={\sum\:}_{i}^{j}{u}_{ij}{w}_{ij}$$ 1 3.4.2 Coupled coordination models In this study, the degree of coupling coordination model was used to evaluate the degree of coupling coordination between tourism industry and ecological security. The coupling coordination degree model includes coupling degree model and coordination degree model, the former is used to describe the degree of interdependence between systems, and the latter is used to reflect the degree of mutual coordination between systems (Li & Peng, 2020). Among them, the coupling degree C is calculated as: $$\:\text{C}=2\sqrt{{U}_{1}\times\:{U}_{2}/{({U}_{1}+{U}_{2})}^{2}}$$ 2 In the formula, U1 and U2 represent the level of development of new tourism industry and the degree of coordinated development of regional economy, respectively. The value range of the coupling degree is [0, 1], and the closer the indicator tends to 1, the higher the degree of coupling between the two, and vice versa. $$\:\text{D}=\sqrt{C\times\:T}，T={\alpha\:U}_{1}+\beta\:{U}_{2}$$ 3 In the formula, T represents the comprehensive coordination index of the level of tourism industry development and the degree of ecological safety coordination development; α, β for the coefficient to be determined, this study believes that the ecological safety coordination is slightly more important than the industry development, and draws on the relevant literature research (Zhang & Wang, 2013 ) on α assigned a weight of 0.4, β assigned a weight of 0.6; D on behalf of the degree of coordination of the coupling of the two systems, taking the value of the range [ 0, 1], the higher the value of D indicates that the higher the degree of coordination of the coupling of the two systems. 0, 1], the higher the value of D, the higher the degree of coupling coordination between the two systems. In order to further elucidate the coupling coordination degree of the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, this paper, based on drawing on existing research (Shu et al, 2015 ), divides the coupling coordination grade of the two into the following 10 types (Table 3). Table 3 Classification criteria of coupling coordination level Coupling Coordination Degree D Value [0,0.1) [0.1,0.2) [0.2,0.3) [0.3,0.4) [0.4,0.5) [0.5,0.6) [0.6,0.7) [0.7,0.8) [0.8,0.9) [0.9,1] Coordination Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Coupling Coordination Degree Extreme Imbalance Severe Imbalance Moderate Imbalance Mild Imbalance On the Verge of Imbalance Barely Coordinated Elementary Coordinated Moderately Coordinated Well Coordinated Excellent Coordination 3.4.3 Trend analysis Trend analysis has the advantage of simplicity and intuition to accurately model the spatial distribution pattern of geographic elements by finding the best-fitting polynomials to interpolate the regional scatters to obtain the trend surface (Wang & Fu, 2016). The computational model is as follows: $$\:{Z}_{i}({u}_{i},\:{v}_{i})={T}_{i}({u}_{i},\:{v}_{i})+{ϵ}_{i}$$ 4 $$\:{T}_{i}({u}_{i},{v}_{i})={\beta\:}_{0}+{\beta\:}_{1}\text{u}+{\beta\:}_{2}\text{v}+{\beta\:}_{3}{u}^{2}+{\beta\:}_{4}{v}^{2}+{\beta\:}_{5}uv$$ 5 Where Z i (u i ,v i ) is the degree of coupling coordination between tourism industry and ecological security in i Zhejiang Province, (u i ,v i ) is the spatial plane coordinates, T i (u i ,v i ) is the trend function, is the autocorrelation stochastic error, i.e., the error that exists between the two degree of coupling coordination in i city and the trend value. 3.4.4 Barrier degree model This paper uses the obstacle degree model, which introduces three indicators, namely factor contribution degree, indicator deviation degree and obstacle degree, and is able to quantitatively analyze the influence of industrial economic performance, industrial components, industrial development potential, industrial innovation ability, and ecological security pressure, state and response on the degree of coupling and coordination of the two in the tourism industry. Firstly, we introduce the calculation of indicator deviation degree, which indicates the gap between the actual value of the indicator and the optimal value. $$\:I=1-X$$ 6 Recalculation of the indicator barrier degree $$\:{o}_{ij}=\frac{{F}_{j}{I}_{ij}}{{\sum\:}_{j=1}^{n}{F}_{j}{I}_{ij}}$$ 7 $$\:{\text{O}}_{\text{i}\text{j}}=\sum\:{\text{o}}_{\text{i}\text{j}}$$ 8 Where X is the standard value of the indicator; Iij is the deviation degree of the indicator, and Fj is the contribution degree of the factor, i.e., the weight of a single indicator; oij and Oij are the degree of obstacles between the indicator layer indicators and the factor layer indicators to the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province (Li et al, 2020 ). 3.5 Data sources The data for this paper come from China Tourism Statistical Yearbook (2001 ~ 2013), China Environmental Statistical Yearbook (2001 ~ 2012), China Urban Statistical Yearbook (2000 ~ 2012), Zhejiang Provincial Statistical Yearbook (2001 ~ 2013), Zhejiang Provincial Statistical Bulletin of National Economy and Social Development 2000 ~ 2012, Zhejiang Provincial Environmental Condition Bulletin 2000 ~ 2012, Zhejiang Municipal Statistical Yearbook, Environmental Condition Bulletin, National Economy and Social Development Bulletin, and the statistical survey data of Zhejiang Municipal Tourism Bureau. 2012, the bulletin of environmental conditions in Zhejiang Province, the statistical yearbook, the bulletin of environmental conditions, the statistical bulletin of national economic and social development of Zhejiang Province, and the statistical survey data of tourism bureaus in Zhejiang Province. In this paper, the original data are standardized by the method of extreme deviation. 4. Results 4.1 Time - series characteristics The coupling coordination degree model was applied to calculate the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry system and the ecological security system. According to Table 4, from 2008 to 2022, the coupling degree C value of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province was within the range of [0.9164–0.9998], remaining in a high - level coupling stage for a long time. This indicates that the interaction between the tourism resources and ecological security in Zhejiang Province has been effectively stimulated.During the same period, the coupling coordination degree D value of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province was in the range of [0.6085, 0.8356]. From 2008 to 2011, the two were in the primary coupling and coordinated development stage. From 2012 to 2015, they entered the intermediate coupling and coordination stage. In 2016, they reached the good - coordinated development stage. However, due to the impact of the epidemic in 2019, it dropped back to the intermediate - coordinated and primary - coordinated stages. This shows that the trend of highly coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and the ecological environment in Zhejiang Province is not obvious. Table 4 Couple and coupling degree results of Zhejiang tourism industry and ecological security from 2008 to 2022 Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Coupling Degree C 0.9953 0.9997 0.9924 0.9721 0.9951 0.9987 0.9980 0.9998 0.9996 0.9990 0.9994 0.9996 0.9555 0.9164 0.9185 Coordination Index T 0.4086 0.3864 0.3396 0.3810 0.4999 0.5551 0.5757 0.6164 0.6995 0.6907 0.6658 0.6136 0.4607 0.4765 0.4256 Coupling Coordination Degree D 0.6377 0.6215 0.6272 0.6085 0.7053 0.7446 0.7580 0.7839 0.8362 0.8307 0.8157 0.7832 0.6634 0.6608 0.6252 Coordination Grade 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 8 7 7 7 Coupling and Coordination Status Primary Coordination Primary Coordination Primary Coordination Primary Coordination Intermediate Coordination Intermediate Coordination Intermediate Coordination Intermediate Coordination Good Coordination Good Coordination Good Coordination Intermediate Coordination Primary Coordination Primary Coordination Primary Coordination 4.2 Spatiotemporal evolution characteristics The coupling coordination degree classification criteria were combined to determine the grades and statistical characteristics of the coupling coordination degree (Table 3). Relying on the geostatistical trend analysis method (Trend Analysis) of the ArcGIS 10.8 software platform, three - dimensional spatial perspective diagrams were drawn based on the coupling coordination degree values of various cities in Zhejiang Province in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. These diagrams are used to reveal the overall spatial pattern and evolution trends of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province.In the diagrams, the X - axis represents the due east direction, that is, the green line is the fitting line of the change trend of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities in the east - west direction; the Y - axis represents the due north direction, that is, the blue line represents the fitting line of the change trend of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities in the north - south direction; and the Z - axis represents the attribute value of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities. From the perspective of the overall spatiotemporal evolution characteristics (Fig. 3), the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province shows a distribution feature of higher in the west and lower in the east in the east - west direction, and evolves from higher in the north and lower in the south to being basically level in the north - south direction. Specifically:① From 2008 to 2022, the east - west trend line exhibits an obvious "inverted U - shaped" spatial characteristic. With the passage of time, the slope of the east - side trend line becomes steeper, while the slope of the west - side trend line is gentler. This indicates that the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in the central cities of Zhejiang, with Jinhua as the core, has improved, but the coupling and coordinated development in the eastern cities is slow. Meanwhile, the coupling and coordinated development in eastern cities such as Ningbo and Taizhou lags behind that in western cities such as Hangzhou and Quzhou.② Compared with the east - west trend line, the spatial difference change of the north - south trend line is significant. In the initial stage, the slope of the north - side trend line is smaller than that of the south - side trend line. As time goes by, both the north - south trend lines show an upward trend and the gap between the north and the south gradually narrows. That is, the coupling and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in southern cities of Zhejiang such as Wenzhou and Lishui is relatively fast, and the gap with the northern cities is gradually decreasing. To further analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province, this study plotted the spatial distribution maps of the coupling coordination degree in various cities of Zhejiang Province in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 (Fig. 4). As can be seen from Fig. 4:(1) Hangzhou, located in western Zhejiang, has relatively high comprehensive indices for both the tourism industry and ecological security. The two have always been in a moderately coupled and coordinated state, performing the best among the 11 cities in Zhejiang Province. In contrast, Quzhou, located in the southwest, has only gradually improved to a barely coupled development stage.(2) Jiaxing and Huzhou in northern Zhejiang have relatively stable coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, remaining in the barely - coupled and coordinated stage.(3) Ningbo and Taizhou in eastern Zhejiang have relatively good coupling coordination degrees, and their coupling coordination degrees are gradually increasing. However, Zhoushan and Shaoxing perform poorly. The former is generally on the verge of collapse, while the latter has declined from barely coordinated to on the verge of collapse.(4) Jinhua in the central - southern part of Zhejiang has a moderate speed of coupled and coordinated development, evolving from barely coordinated to the primary - coordinated stage. Wenzhou and Lishui are gradually evolving to the primary and barely - coupled and coordinated stages. 4.3 Obstacle Degree Analysis From the perspective of systems science, coordinated development refers to the evolutionary process in which subsystems and their elements within a system adapt to, collaborate with, and promote each other, enabling the system to evolve from a lower - level to a higher - level state, from disorder to order, and from simplicity to complexity (Wang H., 2013 ). Therefore, the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security is closely related to the interactions among their respective subsystems and influencing factors. Here, the obstacle degree model is employed to analyze the key influencing factors for the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2022. Given that, since 2010, some cities in Zhejiang Province have shown a gradually improving trend in the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, and the obstacle factors involve multiple specific indicators and time points. This study calculates the obstacle degrees at both the criterion level and the indicator level within the evaluation index system, and presents the results using average values. The specific results are shown in Table 5. Table 5 Average Obstacle Degree Values of Tourism Industry and Ecological Security Criteria Layer (%) City Tourism Industry Ecological Security Industry Economic Performance Industry Constituent Elements Industry Development Potential Industry Innovation Ability Pressure State Response Hangzhou City 0.00 0.00 94.11 5.89 23.94 55.23 20.83 Ningbo City 46.48 23.45 17.41 12.66 23.36 61.06 15.58 Wenzhou City 48.78 29.09 11.00 11.12 15.18 66.31 18.52 Jiaxing City 47.41 33.39 11.14 8.06 23.60 63.45 12.95 Huzhou City 49.21 33.54 7.14 10.11 24.57 69.01 6.42 Shaoxing City 47.58 29.66 13.85 8.92 21.57 60.18 18.25 Jinhua City 46.74 32.01 10.22 11.03 18.42 64.90 16.67 Quzhou City 48.40 30.21 9.93 11.47 26.94 65.94 7.12 Zhoushan City 47.75 30.08 10.93 11.24 12.05 70.46 17.48 Taizhou City 48.52 30.72 10.99 9.76 18.15 66.90 14.95 Lishui City 48.02 32.50 7.59 11.89 32.96 41.86 25.18 From the perspective of the tourism industry, in the cities of Zhejiang Province except Hangzhou, the obstacle factors impeding the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security mainly concentrate on two aspects: industrial economic performance and industrial component elements. Specifically: (1) In Hangzhou, the main obstacle at the criterion layer of tourism industry development lies in industrial development potential. The major obstacle factors are the growth rate of domestic tourism income and the growth rate of the number of domestic tourists, with obstacle degrees of 41.38 and 19.30 respectively, which are the highest among all cities in Zhejiang Province. (2) Among the remaining ten cities in Zhejiang Province, the obstacle factors at the criterion layer predominantly manifest as industrial economic performance and industrial component elements. In terms of industrial economic performance, for cities like Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Taizhou, the obstacle factors mainly involve tourism foreign exchange earnings and the number of inbound tourist receptions. Additionally, for Lishui City, the main obstacle factor also includes the operating income of star-rated hotels. For the other cities, the obstacle factors mainly present as tourism foreign exchange earnings and the operating income of star-rated hotels. For instance, in Jiaxing City, the obstacle degree of tourism foreign exchange earnings is 11.80, and that of the operating income of star-rated hotels is 9.15. Secondly, in terms of industrial component elements, the obstacle factors in the ten cities mainly focus on the number of travel agencies and the number of their employees. For example, in Ningbo City, the obstacle degree of the number of travel agencies and that of the number of employees in travel agencies are both 8.26. At the ecological security level, the obstacle factors for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in all cities of Zhejiang Province are mainly reflected in the state criterion layer, while those in the pressure and response aspects are relatively minor. This fully indicates that the ecological environment quality of each city is the main factor influencing the coupled and coordinated development. Specifically: (1) For the ten cities other than Lishui, the per capita water resources and per capita forest land area are the main obstacle factors. In the future, emphasis should be placed on the intensive utilization and development of water resources and greater efforts should be made to protect biodiversity. (2) In Lishui City, the differences in the average values of the obstacle factors among the pressure system, the state system, and the response system are relatively small. However, the obstacle degree of the state system remains the largest, with the green space area and the per capita park green space area being the main obstacle factors. During the development of the urban tourism industry, the urban greening level should be strengthened. In the pressure system, the main obstacle factors are the urbanization level and the growth rate of per capita GDP. 5. Discussion 5.1 Policy Orientation, Technological Progress, Uncertain Events and the Temporal Evolution Characteristics of the Coupling and Coordination between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security (TECE) The coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security is a complex dynamic process influenced by multiple factors (Liu et al., 2024 ). In this study, from 2008 to 2022, the coupling degrees of the two subsystems, namely the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province, were both in a high - level range. However, during the same period, the threshold of the coupling coordination degree index was lower than that of the coupling degree index, indicating that an effective coordination relationship had not been formed between the two subsystems.Nevertheless, during this period, the coupling coordination degree evolved from the primary coupling and coordination state to a good - coupling and coordination state over time, suggesting that the coordination relationship between the subsystems was gradually improving. However, the huge impact of the COVID − 19 pandemic in 2019 dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry subsystem, greatly reducing the coupling coordination degree index. The changes described above reflect that the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security is determined not only by the development of the subsystems themselves but also by the relationship between the two subsystems. Lee (2022) argues that green finance influences ecological security through paths such as large - scale agricultural operations, agricultural technological progress, and ecological industrialization 1 . In the central region of Iran, ecotourism activities, overgrazing by livestock, uncontrolled natural and economic activities, and extensive road and highway development are all threat factors affecting ecological security 2 . In the Changbai Mountain region of China, wetland ecological security has also been negatively affected by factors including urbanization, real estate development, and wetland tourism. Therefore, the coupling and coordination level of the tourism industry and ecological security proposed in this paper is also closely related to the policy environment, technological environment, and uncertain events in which it is located.First, since 2008, China has implemented the ecological civilization development strategy. Through policy means such as the environmental access system, ecological compensation mechanism, and environmental quality red - line control (Zhang et al., 2017 ), the government has regulated and guided the steady development of the tourism industry under ecological pressure. In the initial stage, ecological environment regulation policies restrict the model of ecotourism resource utilization, forcing the tourism industry to transform towards an ecological and green direction. In this process, the improvement of ecological environment protection technologies can effectively promote the expansion of the ecotourism industry scale. Moreover, through measures such as ecological restoration, ecological facilities, and treatment of environmental waste (Zheng et al., 2024 ), ecological security can be significantly improved. For example, the treatment technology for microplastic pollution caused by tourism design, construction, and tourism activities on Wuzhizhou Island in China 3 has enabled the development state of the coupling between the tourism industry and the ecological security system to shift from antagonism in the initial stage of policy implementation to a stable state of positive interaction.However, the COVID − 19 pandemic, a public event, has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry system. Major components of the entire tourism industry chain, such as travel agencies, tourist attractions, and the accommodation and catering industries, have basically been paralyzed (Tang et al., 2022 ). This has made it difficult to sustain the virtuous cycle mechanism that originally relied on high - quality, differentiated ecotourism products and their premium effects to promote ecological protection. The growth rate of the system has approached zero, resulting in a significant decline in the coupling coordination index of the two. Especially in the face of large - scale sudden risks, the deficiencies have become apparent, and it is difficult to bridge the gap between the decline of the industry and the sharp reduction in ecological investment. This reflects the vulnerability of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism when facing external shocks. 5.2 The endowment of tourism resources, industrial structure, and ecological governance capacity have contributed to the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics. The scale and types of tourism resource endowments, which are the fundamental components of the development of the tourism industry, play a fundamental role. This is because these characteristics determine the product models and directions for the transformation of tourism resources into the tourism industry (Ma & Hassink, 2013 ). A tourism industry approach that inclines towards non - damaging and pollution - free operations is more conducive to supporting the stability of the ecological security system (Zhou et al., 2023 ).Meanwhile, the regional industrial structure with the tourism industry as its foundation can also influence ecological security through the management and control of the negative effects in the process of industrial input - production (Fu et al., 2024 ). Additionally, the level of ecological governance capacity will ultimately affect the ability to address ecological environment damage (Zhou et al., 2023 ). The combined influence of these three levels has led to significant spatial heterogeneity in the coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security. Based on the analysis results of this paper, cities such as Hangzhou and Lishui possess relatively superior mountain - water ecological conditions and profound cultural heritages. The organic integration of landscape resources and traditional culture has formed cultural - based tourism products and related industrial systems, including leisure vacations, ecological sightseeing, and high - end cultural and tourism experiences. The development model of the tourism industry in these cities is relatively conducive to the mutual promotion of tourism development and ecological environment protection, thus having an inherent advantage in enhancing the coupling coordination degree.In contrast, cities like Ningbo, Zhoushan, and Taizhou in the eastern coastal area rely more on coastal and island ecological resources in tourism resource development. The developed tourism products mainly focus on sightseeing - based scenic spots. Although these areas have superior geographical locations and active economies, the high - intensity port and shipping industries, marine economy, and intensive development have put pressure on the environmental carrying capacity. Coupled with the relatively slow recovery rate of the marine ecosystem, the TECE index level in these areas is relatively lagging.Huzhou and Jiaxing in the northern region are located in the plain and lake areas. The resource types there are relatively single, and the development and utilization intensity is high. The transformation of the traditional industrial structure and land - use pattern is slow, which has imposed certain constraints on the coupling and coordination between tourism and ecology. Therefore, it can be seen that cities that integrated the concept of high - quality development with green economic practices at an earlier stage can launch tourism products featuring high - value - added business forms such as cultural and creative industries, ecological health preservation, and outdoor sports. The overall development level of the local economy and the diversified industrial structure can provide relatively stable financial and intellectual support for ecological restoration and ecological compensation.In contrast, although the eastern coastal and northern regions have a large economic aggregate, manufacturing, port logistics, and traditional service industries still account for a relatively large proportion in the regional economy. The structural adjustment of the tourism industry and ecological investment are difficult to be promoted simultaneously in the short term, which leads to a relatively slow improvement in the coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security.Of course, there are still differences in the implementation of green development policies, the construction of ecological compensation systems, and the maturity of environmental governance mechanisms in various regions. For example, the western and central - southern regions of Zhejiang implemented ecological function zoning, environmental quality red lines, and relevant ecological compensation policies earlier and more thoroughly. The eastern coastal and northern regions still need more institutional innovation and policy support in balancing tourism economic growth and environmental protection. 5.3 Structural Constraints of the Tourism Industry and Path Dependence in Regional Economic Transformation Jointly Create Obstacle Factors Industrial components, types and quality of the ecosystem play different roles in ecological security 4 . Ruan's conclusion that the key influencing factors of tourism ecological security include the growth rate of the tertiary industry and tourism density is consistent 5 . To continuously improve the coordinated development of the coupling between the tourism industry and the ecological security system, regions based on tourism, the ecological environment, and biological resources must comprehensively implement the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. In this regard, Zhang et al. ( 2024 ) proposed two combined and corresponding models: natural feedback and management feedback 6 .Compared with the research results of this paper, it is found that the factors influencing the changes in the coupling coordination degree index between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province are mainly dynamic factors, namely, per capita water resources, per capita forest land area, as well as development - related indicators such as foreign exchange earnings from tourism, the number of inbound tourists received, star - rated hotels, and travel agencies. These are basically similar to the above - mentioned research conclusions. The reason lies in that during the research period, in terms of improving international performance indicators such as the number of inbound tourists received and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in Zhejiang, it was difficult for the "quantity" and "quality" of resource endowments to quickly meet the high - end international demands.First, although the high - quality ecological environment is conducive to shaping unique tourism attractions, the international influence and international service chain are still not perfect. The shaping of international brands, the construction of a global marketing network, and the exploration of high - end tourist markets cannot be achieved overnight.Second, ecological state indicators such as per capita water resources and per capita forest land area still show insufficient room for improvement in the face of the increasing tourism reception pressure and potential ecological risks. Although ecological protection policies support the stability of indicators such as per capita water resources and per capita forest land area, the improvement of these resource state indicators requires long - term continuous investment and scientific governance. The structural contradiction between resources and utilization has created internal bottlenecks for both the improvement of industrial performance and the consolidation of ecological security.Third, traditional tourism service components such as travel agencies and star - rated hotels have made relatively slow progress in improving service quality and aligning with international standards. It is difficult to quickly meet the international market's requirements for high - end accommodation, customized tourism products, and comprehensive service experiences, resulting in slow growth in the number of inbound tourists received and foreign exchange earnings from tourism. This path dependence in the transformation of the regional economic structure makes it difficult to significantly improve the obstacles related to tourism industry performance in the short term. Coupled with the market impact and the international competition pattern, the coupling and coordination mechanism between the tourism industry and ecological security has not formed sufficient resilience, making the effect of policy promotion not obvious in the short term and increasing the difficulty of improving ecological state indicators. 6. Conclusion, implication and limitation 6.1 Conclusion The coupling and coordination development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province shows an upward trend, evolving from primary coordination to intermediate coordination, and further to good coordination. This indicates that there exists a positive interaction mechanism between the tourism industry and ecological security. Economic growth in tourism contributes to the promotion of ecological civilization construction, while improvements in ecological security indices also provide impetus for sustainable tourism development. However, the overall development trend remains inconspicuous, exhibiting certain volatility and uncertainty. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the coupling and coordination degree between the two, suggesting that the coordination mechanism between the regional tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province lacks sufficient resilience and stability in responding to emergencies. The coupling and coordination development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province faces dual obstacles: one related to industrial performance and the other to the "status" of ecological security. In the tourism industry dimension, the inadequacy of performance indicators (such as foreign exchange earnings from tourism and inbound tourist reception) reveals weaknesses in market expansion and product appeal, indicating that the international competitiveness of the tourism industry has not yet reached the expected level. In the ecological security dimension, constraints on "status" indicators such as per capita water resources and forest land area highlight the significant restrictive nature of natural resources. The coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province exhibits significant regional disparities. The western region, represented by Hangzhou, shows a higher level of coupling and coordination, reflecting the region's comprehensive advantages in terms of tourism resource endowment, ecological environmental governance capacity, industrial structure optimization, and policy support. In contrast, the eastern coastal cities and northern regions demonstrate relatively delayed development, particularly in areas such as the ecological upgrading of the tourism industry and the improvement of resource utilization efficiency, where significant gaps still exist. 6.2 Theoretical Implications This study breaks through the limitations of traditional research frameworks by innovatively proposing and constructing a Tourism-Ecological Security Coupling and Coordination Development Evaluation Index System (TECE). This system not only systematically integrates the key factors of tourism industry and ecological security, but also emphasizes the interaction mechanisms and feedback effects between the two, filling the gap in the existing literature on multidimensional, comprehensive evaluation systems. This approach provides a theoretical innovation pathway for future research on the relationship between tourism and ecology, facilitates a deeper understanding of the coupling and coordination relationship within complex systems, and offers new ideas for quantitative modeling in related fields. The Obstacle degree recognition model proposed in this study is based on the multiple dimensions of the coupling and coordination of the tourism industry and ecological security, providing valuable insights for theoretical research. In other words, existing literature often focuses on single factors or static analyses, lacking a systematic revelation of the interactions between multiple barrier factors within complex systems. Through an innovative approach, this study identifies and quantifies these multidimensional barriers, advancing interdisciplinary integration in theoretical development, particularly in the field of sustainable tourism and ecological security. It provides a theoretical foundation for evaluating the scientific and practical validity of assessment models. Through an in-depth analysis of the spatial-temporal characteristics of the coupling and coordination status between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province, this study approaches the issue from a dynamic evolution perspective, opening up a new field for research on the relationship between tourism and ecological security. This study highlights the spatial-temporal dimensions of the coupling and coordination process between the two, offering a new perspective to existing literature. This theoretical innovation not only drives the cutting-edge development of research on green transformation and ecological civilization construction in tourist destinations but also provides new theoretical frameworks and methodological tools for complex system studies across regions and time scales. 6.3 Practical Implications The coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province faces the issue of insufficient industrial performance and inadequate ecological resource support. Therefore, a series of specific improvement measures should be formulated to address problems such as the lack of international market expansion capacity and the insufficient attractiveness of tourism products. First, efforts should be made to strengthen the precise positioning of the international market, promote the internationalization of locally distinctive tourism products, and enhance brand image and market competitiveness. Second, the overall level of the tourism service system should be improved, especially in the construction of infrastructure such as star-rated hotels and travel agencies. Enhancing reception capacity and service quality is crucial to support a higher level of coordinated development. At the same time, Zhejiang Province should increase its external publicity efforts, integrate existing tourism resources, expand both online and offline marketing channels, and further attract international tourists to expand market share. From the perspective of regional disparities, the western and central-southern regions of Zhejiang Province exhibit a relative advantage in the coupling and coordination of ecological security and tourism industry, while the eastern coastal and northern regions face certain developmental delays. Therefore, Zhejiang Province should formulate differentiated policy support measures based on the specific conditions of each region. For the western and central-southern regions, efforts should be made to intensify the development of ecotourism resources, promote the transformation of the local tourism industry towards green and low-carbon development, and improve resource utilization efficiency and ecological protection levels. As for the eastern coastal and northern regions, particularly cities such as Ningbo, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Huzhou, and Jiaxing, the ecological upgrading of the tourism industry should be strengthened, ecological environmental governance capabilities should be enhanced, and effective integration and optimization of tourism resources within the region should be promoted. In addition, the capacity of local governments in policy regulation and implementation should be strengthened, green tourism policy support should be improved, and the sustainable development of the regional tourism industry should be promoted. According to the research findings, the scarcity of ecological resources, particularly the insufficiency of key ecological indicators such as water resources and forest land area, has become a bottleneck restricting the development of the tourism industry. Therefore, it is recommended that Zhejiang Province strengthen the dynamic monitoring and assessment of ecological carrying capacity in the future. It is advisable to establish and improve a tourism ecological security assessment and early warning system, which would monitor ecological resource changes dynamically, and adjust tourism development policies in a timely manner based on the monitoring results. Furthermore, improving the ecological compensation mechanism should also be a crucial measure for promoting the coordinated development of tourism and ecological security. The government should formulate reasonable ecological compensation policies to ensure the continuous protection of ecological security while enabling the tourism industry to achieve green transformation and innovative development, thereby promoting the deep integration of tourism and ecological security and enhancing the sustainable development momentum of Zhejiang's tourism industry. 6.4 Limitation and future research First, the study only selected data from a limited number of years for the ecological security analysis, which has hindered the development of a dynamic and comprehensive spatiotemporal monitoring framework, thus restricting the breadth of the assessment. Future research should establish a long-term and dynamic monitoring framework to more accurately capture the impacts of policy changes, technological advancements, and uncertain events on the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security. Secondly, the current research takes a relatively narrow disciplinary perspective and fails to fully integrate insights from economics, management, geography, environmental science, ecology, and sociology. Future studies should strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration to better analyze the complex interactions between tourism and ecological security, providing a more comprehensive understanding and a more refined decision-support system. Moreover, the assessment framework in this study mainly focuses on the macro level and does not adequately consider micro-level factors such as social participation and local governance. Future research should further refine the evaluation framework by incorporating multi-level and multidimensional factors, and combine big data and artificial intelligence techniques to develop more precise predictive models and risk early-warning systems. Declarations Author Contribution Dear Editors, In the study, we aim to constructs an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security by building a comprehensive coupled evaluation models.We examine our proposed models with the China Tourism Statistical Yearbook (2001~2013), China Environmental Statistical Yearbook (2001~2012),etc. The numerical results show that The TECE (Tourism-Ecological Coupling and Coordination) index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological security、The TECE index exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity and is closely related to pressure indicators such as population and economic factors and The main obstacle factors restricting the improvement of the TECE index demonstrate obvious dynamics.We believe that our paper is suited for the specific sub field named Tourism develops in harmony with ecological security as it addresses how to establish a scientific and effective evaluation framework to measure the interaction between tourism and ecological security.We also believe that the study and its findings will be of interest to the readers of your journal. The highlights of the paper are listed as below. Develop an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security by building a comprehensive coupled evaluation models. Demonstrate that the TECE index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological securityEnriches the theoretical understanding of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism and provides a scientific reference for the development of regional green transformation. Acknowledgement This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Data Availability The original data used in this study can be obtained through the following channels. First, the tourism industry data of Zhejiang Province is sourced from the Statistical Yearbook of Zhejiang Province (2008-2022) and the statistical yearbooks of various cities, which can be queried or applied for via the official website of Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics (https://tjj.zj.gov.cn/). Second, the ecological security data is derived from the Environmental Status Bulletin of Zhejiang Province and the public data of ecological environment bureaus in various cities, accessible through the official websites of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment (https://sthjt.zj.gov.cn/) and Zhejiang Provincial Department of Natural Resources (https://zrzyt.zj.gov.cn/). Third, supplementary data such as the full-time equivalent of tourism R&D and the proportion of R&D expenditure in some years are extracted from the public census reports on the official website of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (https://www.stats.gov.cn/). 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Ruan W, Li Y, Zhang S, Liu CH (2019) Evaluation and drive mechanism of tourism ecological security based on the DPSIR-DEA model. Tour Manag 75:609–625 Ritchie JRB, Crouch GI (2000) The competitive destination: A sustainable tourism perspective. Tour Manag 21(1):1–7 Romão J (2021) Nature, Tourism, Growth, Resilience and Sustainable Development. Mediterranean Protected Areas in the Era of Overtourism: Challenges and Solutions, 297–310 Stavros S, Fani S, Stergios T, Ioannis S, Olga C (2016) The environmental pressures and perspectives of tourism on coastal and insular zone. The case of Greece. Nat Environ Pollution Technol 15(3):1009 Steffen W, Richardson K, Rockström J et al (2015) Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science 347(6223):1259855 Sheng Y, Zhong Z (2009) Study on the coupling coordination degree between tourism industry and regional economy: A case study of Hunan Province. Tourism Tribune 24(8):23–29 Sheng YC, Zhong ZP (2009) A study on the coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and regional economy: Taking Hunan Province as an example. Tourism Tribune 24(8):23–29 Shu XL, Gao YB, Zhang YX et al (2015) Research on the coupling relationship and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological civilization cities. China Popul Resour Environ 25(3):82–90 Tsaur SH, Lin YC, Lin JH (2006) Evaluating ecotourism sustainability from the integrated perspective of resource, community and tourism. Tour Manag 27(4):640–653 Tang B, Wang H, Peng L, Wang Z, Liu J, Liwei Z, Jiao L (2023) Integrating ecosystem organization, quality and services indicators in the ecological security assessment. Land Degrad Dev 34(15):4561–4574 Tang C, Wu X, Zheng Q, Lyu N (2018) Ecological security evaluations of the tourism industry in ecological conservation development areas: A case study of Beijing's ECDA. J Clean Prod 197:999–1010 Tang CC, Zhang HL, Zhao L, Yang YY, Wei G (2022) Impact of COVID – 19 pandemic on tourism in China and its countermeasures. Chin J Ecotourism, (1), 169–183 UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) (2019) International tourism highlights. UNWTO Wang J, Xiao H, Hu M (2023) Spatial spillover effects of forest ecological security on ecological well-being performance in China. J Clean Prod 418:138142 Wang J, Chen X, Zhang Z (2023) Spatial Differences and Drivers of Tourism Ecological Security in China's Border Areas. Sustainability 15(15):11811 Wang J, Xiao H, Hu M (2021) Comprehensive evaluation and prediction of tourism ecological security in droughty area national parks—a case study of Qilian Mountain of Zhangye section, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:150528 Wang ZF, Li JY (2022) Verification of the spatio-temporal evolution of the coupling and coordination between tourism development and the ecological environment as well as the interactive coercion relationship in the Yellow River Basin. Resour Environ Yangtze Basin 31(2):447–460 Wang D, Shen Y, Zhao Y, He W, Liu X, Qian X, Lv T (2020) Integrated assessment and obstacle factor diagnosis of China's scientific coal production capacity based on the PSR sustainability framework. Resour Policy 68:101794 Wang J, Zhang T, Fu B (2016) A measure of spatial stratified heterogeneity. Ecol Ind 67:250–256 Wang H (2013) Research on the coordinated development of economy and environment in 14 cities of Liaoning Province (pp. 154–173). Tianjin: Nankai University Press Wang SM, Niu JL, Jiang H, He ZL (2025) The impact effect and spatial spillover of tourism economy on ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin. Geographical Res 01:205–222 Weaver DB (2001) Ecotourism as mass tourism: Contradiction or reality? Cornell Hotel Restaurant Adm Q 42(2):104–112 Zhao S, Bai M, Ruan M et al (2021) Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and obstacle factors of coordinated development of tourism resources and ecological security in Yunnan Province. Scientia Geogr Sinica 41(3):493–503 Zedler JB, Kercher S (2005) Wetland resources: Status, trends, ecosystem services, and restorability. Annu Rev Environ Resour 30(1):39–74 Zhou B, Wang LT, Yu H, Wang YX (2023) Spatiotemporal evolution of tourism ecological security alerts: Evaluation and trend prediction. Environ Dev Sustain, 1–22 Zhao J, Guo H (2022) Spatial and temporal evolution of tourism ecological security in the old revolutionary region of the Dabie Mountains from 2001 to 2020. Sustainability 14(17):10762 Zhou B, Zhang MY, Zhong LS, Yu H (2019) Evaluation on the coupling and coordination degree between tourism economy and cultural industry in Inner Mongolia. J Arid Land Resour Environ 33(4):203–208 Zhang GH, Liu ZZ, Wang XY (2013) Analysis and prediction of the coupling degree between tourismization and ecological environment in China's coastal regions. Ecol Environ Sci 22(5):792–800. 10.16258/j.cnki.1674-5906.2013.05.016 Zhang F, Jiang C, Ma D, Yang X, Xiao Y, Tan H (2024) Evaluation of tourism ecological security based on DPSIRM-SBM model and its temporal–spatial evolution characteristics. Environ Dev Sustain 26(7):18111–18137 Zhou B, Xu JM, Yu H, Wang LT (2023) Comprehensive assessment of ecological risks of Island destinations—A case of Mount Putuo Island, China. Ecol Ind 154:110783 Zhang P, Nong L, Han JY (2017) Towards composite environmental governance - Analysis of the evolution, development and transformation of China's environmental policies. J China Univ Geosci (Social Sci Edition) 17(6):105–116 Zheng QQ, Tang CC, Zhao Y (2024) Evaluation and Enhancement Model of the Development Potential of Green Tourism in Beijing's Ecological Conservation Area. J Resour Ecol 15(2):484–495 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Zhou","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAxUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCQYGZgYDBjkQg4GBjQQtxqRqYWBIbCBai/zs5mPSBQV30rdL9xgwfCg7zMA/uwG/FsY5x9KkZxg8y90554wB44xzhxkk7hzAr4VZIsdMmsfgcO6GGzkGzLxthxkMJBLwa2GDakk3AGn5S4wWHqiWBLAWRmK0SEikJVvPMDhsuOHOsYKDPefSeSRuENAiPyP54O2CP4flDW43b3zwo8xajn8GAS0o4ADIpSSoHwWjYBSMglGACwAAewA987sLUXYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Donghai Academy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, P. R. China","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"B.","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhou","suffix":""},{"id":472067481,"identity":"0090d3f8-cb7e-45ef-acd0-3a1476365278","order_by":1,"name":"F. Xiao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Donghai Academy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, P. R. China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"F.","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiao","suffix":""},{"id":472067484,"identity":"a8613441-1e75-487a-9b1e-c6ffb69a2eb6","order_by":2,"name":"H. Yu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"H.","middleName":"","lastName":"Yu","suffix":""},{"id":472067485,"identity":"7f26c18a-818d-459a-b401-5a407f4227dd","order_by":3,"name":"H. Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Xingyi Normal University for Nationalities, Xingyi, P. R. China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"H.","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-07 14:53:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":84884928,"identity":"73138c58-7dec-4384-a4a3-375b991ce1b0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:34:15","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":983730,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudy area location map\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/18bc88991e37b5e2036a43b7.png"},{"id":84884425,"identity":"8ab20c61-b92b-4a12-ae90-9e7d49f25857","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:26:15","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":116965,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical model of coupling and coordination between tourism industry and ecological security\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/eeb5fb3d0d23190ef44bcbf0.png"},{"id":84884429,"identity":"5545222d-1b38-4e45-a80b-125ba0c233b0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:26:15","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":280830,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrend of coupling and coordination of tourism resources and ecological security in Zhejiang Province (2010-2022)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/d9e1eba41c38cf6d483abc0a.png"},{"id":84884929,"identity":"0e5647ad-c546-4fc6-ab2b-60535fbca321","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:34:15","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":390252,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLevel of coupling and coordination between tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province (2010-2022)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/e3c99b91fe13b6109d9006a7.png"},{"id":84886603,"identity":"3deffc93-0cc6-4d4d-9f58-cebfe10debe8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:50:18","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3229112,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/54c91b5e-827d-45ea-a34a-3adeaf52e1fe.pdf"},{"id":84884427,"identity":"09b299bb-9435-4c4e-8e59-55544f114d3c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-18 11:26:15","extension":"zip","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":303214,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"file.zip","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6613050/v1/35262106bdaf464811da6206.zip"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eSpatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of the Coordinated Development between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eEcological security refers to a state where the structure, functions, and ecological processes of an ecosystem are free from threats(Costanza, R., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e; Robert et al., 2005). It can continuously provide the resource consumption and livelihood well - being required by natural systems and human society (Pimentel et al., 2013; Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, it can reduce the frequency of natural disasters, enhance the ability to resist environmental pressures and risks (Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Lyu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), and ensure the sustainability of the regional economic - social system (Cheng et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The vulnerability and resilience of ecosystems have been regarded as key factors influencing the sustainable development of the tourism industry (Calgaro et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Aznar - Crespo et al., 2020). If an ecosystem lacks resilience after a disaster event, it will directly lead to a decrease in the number of tourists and the decline of the tourism industry (Ichinosawa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Cumming, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Rom\u0026atilde;o, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).Nevertheless, research on the coupling and synergy between the tourism industry and ecological security remains weak. On the one hand, there is a lack of theoretical elaboration on the internal mechanism of the coupling between the tourism industry and ecological security. On the other hand, there is also a lack of quantitative analysis of scientific indicator evaluation based on this. As a result, it restricts the scientific understanding of the development characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of the Tourism - Ecological - Security - Coupling (TECE). Therefore, there is a lack of understanding of the main obstacle factors and targeted solutions in the precise implementation of policies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobally, the tourism industry has become increasingly crucial as an engine for economic growth and job creation (UNWTO, 2019). However, its rapid expansion often exerts non - negligible pressures and damages on local ecosystems (Baloch, Q. B et al., 2023). To achieve the long - term prosperity and healthy development of tourist destinations, it is essential to strike a balance between the expansion of the tourism industry and ecological security, meeting the requirements of coordinated economic, social, and environmental development advocated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many popular tourist destinations are often located in ecologically sensitive or fragile areas, and their ecosystems are characterized by uniqueness, vulnerability, and irreplaceability (Debarbieux, B etal., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Stavros, S, etal., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Chen \u0026amp; Xu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Nevertheless, over - development or improper utilization can undermine their ecological functions and damage the foundation of tourism resources (Bramwell \u0026amp; Lane, 1993; Buckley, 2012). A series of negative environmental issues have emerged during the rapid development of the tourism industry(Hunter, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e), such as water pollution (G\u0026ouml;ssling et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e), over - consumption of forest resources (Nepstad et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e), reduction in wetland area (Zedler \u0026amp; Kercher, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e), destruction of wildlife habitats (Kareiva \u0026amp; Marvier, 2012), and exacerbation of soil erosion and geological disasters (Pimentel \u0026amp; Burgess, 2013). These issues have, to a large extent, threatened the ecological and environmental security of tourist destinations.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Literature Review","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 The Impact of Tourism on the Ecological Environment\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnder the traditional linear impact model of \"tourism - environment\", both the positive and negative effects of tourism on the environment have received considerable attention (Ehigiamusoe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Some scholars have proposed an \"adaptive paradigm for sustainable tourism\", which analyzes the potential environmental problems that may occur at various stages of tourism development (Bramwell, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). G\u0026ouml;ssling et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e) also conducted a quantitative study on the negative impacts of tourism on ecosystems from two dimensions: resource consumption and environmental pollution. They emphasized the potential pressure of high - intensity tourism activities on the water resources and biodiversity of destinations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince tourism development can have an impact on the biodiversity of nature reserves and the fragile ecosystems, the academic community has gradually formed a research hotspot of \"ecotourism\" (Das \u0026amp; Chatterjee, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Its core lies in promoting the enhancement of tourists' environmental awareness through high - quality natural experiences and environmental education, so as to achieve the protection and rational utilization of the ecosystems at tourist destinations.Weaver (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e) systematically expounded on the positive significance and potential threats of ecotourism in sensitive areas from the aspects of the concept, forms, and development paths of ecotourism, emphasizing the crucial role of community participation and stakeholder collaboration in maintaining the sustainability of ecotourism. Subsequent studies have further focused on the comprehensive benefits of ecotourism in poverty alleviation, community development, and environmental education (Buckley, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Kibria, 2021; Cook, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoreover, the rise of environmental ethics has led the academic community to explore how to guide and regulate the environmental behaviors of tourists, tourism enterprises, and destination governments from the perspectives of soft constraints such as values and moral constraints. Based on environmental ethics and the development of ecotourism, Fennell (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) proposed an ethical decision - making framework in the process of ecotourism management, providing a moral foundation for regulating tourism behaviors. Meanwhile, issues related to environmental justice and the distribution of tourism benefits have also started to attract the attention of researchers (Holden, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 The Impact of the Ecological Environment on Tourism\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith the intensification of global climate change and ecosystem succession, the \"counter - force\" of the ecological environment on tourism activities has become increasingly evident. In particular, the reduction of biodiversity may have far - reaching impacts on ecotourism and sightseeing tourism. The priority of biodiversity conservation needs to be aligned with that of climate change response to avoid catastrophic consequences for the tourism industry (Hall, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Against this backdrop, examining the tourism industry from the perspectives of climate policy and carbon reduction not only reveals the severe challenges it faces in the context of environmental change but also indicates the potential opportunities for its low - carbon transformation, suggesting that the industry needs to strike a balance between environmental protection and sustainable development (G\u0026ouml;ssling and Scott, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe impact of natural disasters on the tourism industry has gradually attracted widespread attention. The vulnerability and resilience of ecosystems have been regarded as key factors affecting the sustainable development of the tourism industry (Calgaro. etal., 2014; Aznar - Crespo. etal., 2020). If a fragile ecosystem lacks sufficient resilience after a disaster event, it will directly lead to a decrease in the number of tourists and the decline of the tourism industry (Ichinosawa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, the resilience of ecosystems is not only related to the attractiveness of tourist destinations but also closely linked to the long - term development of the tourism industry (Cumming, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e, Rom\u0026atilde;o, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This indicates that in the future, ecological vulnerability and natural risk management must be incorporated into long - term strategic considerations to enhance the ability of destinations to respond to environmental changes and ensure the sustainable development of the tourism industry.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3 In - depth Research on the Relationship between Tourism and the Ecological Environment\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgainst the backdrop of the high - quality development of tourism, the concept of \"tourism ecological efficiency\" has introduced input - output efficiency analysis. By comprehensively measuring the economic output of tourism and environmental costs, it has become an important tool for evaluating the green development level of the tourism industry. Based on this, some research has applied the SBM - DEA model to analyze the characteristics and evolution of the ecological efficiency of tourist destinations. The results show that the ecological efficiency has been continuously improving, and there are correlations among different efficiencies. Among them, tourism development has a positive impact on ecological efficiency, while the investment level may have a negative effect (Peng et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).Meanwhile, the research results of the DEA - Tobit model have revealed the differences in the impacts of economic and ecological indicators on ecological efficiency (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Such research provides a scientific basis for managers in optimizing resource allocation and formulating ecological compensation policies, emphasizing the guiding role of ecological efficiency in the sustainable development of tourism.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith the increasing prominence of \"ecological security\" in the fields of environmental science and regional science, the assessment of tourism ecological security has gradually emerged as a new research hotspot. Some scholars took the ecological protection and development area in Beijing as an example to conduct research on tourism ecological security (ESTI). They found that the main factors influencing ESTI are response factors related to government decision - making actions, and environmental and tourism economic development indicators have a significant impact (Tang et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).Furthermore, the integration of the \"DPSIR\" model and data envelopment analysis has further refined the assessment framework and methods for tourism ecological security, indicating that regional tourism ecological security is directly or indirectly affected by multiple factors (Ma et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, in recent years, the rise of the concept of \"resilience\" in the field of social - ecological systems has provided a new perspective for understanding the relationship between tourism and the ecological environment. When analyzing the relationship between tourism economy and ecological resilience, research shows that there are multiple spatial agglomeration patterns between them, along with spatial spillover effects and spatial misalignment phenomena. Enhancing ecological resilience has become a key path for the sustainable development of tourism (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR73\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).Other research has found that the degree of coupling and coordination between the tourism economy and ecological resilience in the Yangtze River Delta region has been gradually increasing, with significant spatial agglomeration and a \"club convergence\" phenomenon (He et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Overall, these studies have elucidated the complex interactions between tourism and the ecological environment from different dimensions, providing diverse theoretical supports and practical paths for achieving sustainable tourism development.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough certain progress has been made in the current research on the relationship between tourism and the ecological environment, the following research gaps still exist: (i) There is a relative lack of research on the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security. Existing studies lack a systematic interpretation of the internal mechanisms of the coupling between the tourism industry and ecological security. In particular, the laws of change in the interactive relationship at different stages of tourism development remain unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to further reveal the coupling and coordination evolution paths and key driving factors between the tourism industry and ecological security at different development stages. (ii) Research on spatial heterogeneity and scale effects is insufficient. This is mainly manifested in insufficient attention to the heterogeneous characteristics of the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security at a macro - scale, making it difficult to reveal the evolution laws in multi - scale spaces. Thus, more systematic research on spatiotemporal evolution characteristics at a macro - regional scale is needed. (iii) There is a lack of systematic identification of obstacle factors and governance paths. Currently, there is a lack of quantitative identification in the research on the obstacle factors of the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security. In addition, existing studies have not yet proposed clear governance paths and policy recommendations on how to eliminate or reduce the impact of obstacle factors to promote the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the above - mentioned research gaps, this study takes Zhejiang Province, China as an example. Focusing on the scientific issue of the coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security, by constructing an evaluation index system and using methods such as the linear weighted model, coupling coordination degree model, trend analysis, and obstacle degree model, the following scientific questions are intended to be addressed: What is the internal mechanism of the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security? At the macro - regional scale, what are the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and main driving factors of the coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security? What are the main obstacle factors in the coupling and coordination process?The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate and deeply analyze the coupling and coordination level between the tourism industry and ecological security, clarify its spatial heterogeneity and scale effects, systematically identify the main obstacle factors for the coordinated development of coupling, expand the application of the coupling and coordination theory in tourism ecology, and put forward practical policy recommendations. This can provide valuable references for the sustainable development of the tourism industry and ecological security management in similar regions worldwide.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Research Design","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Overview of case sites\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eZhejiang Province is located on the southeastern coast of China and the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. It is characterised by a variety of ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, lakes, oceans and islands, and thus possesses significant natural resources and environmental advantages for tourism development. In the contemporary era, tourism has become an important industry for the promotion of the process of new urbanization in Zhejiang Province and the high-quality construction of the common prosperity demonstration area. In 2022, Zhejiang Province received 375\u0026nbsp;million domestic tourists, generating domestic tourism revenue of 598.2\u0026nbsp;billion yuan. It also received 221,000 inbound tourists and recorded tourism foreign exchange earnings of 122\u0026nbsp;million U.S. dollars, further consolidating its strategic pillar industry status. Nevertheless, due to an absence of comprehension regarding green development, follow the traditional development concept and way of inertia still exists, tourism resources utilization efficiency needs to be improved, tourism economy excessive ecosystem degradation situation, ecosystem anti-interference ability is weak, high ecological environment heterogeneity, the tourism industry and ecological security maintenance inadequate imbalance. The \"14th Five-Year\" Development Plan of Zhejiang Tourism Industry clearly indicates that the implementation of the ecological civilization strategy will be actively promoted, and that there is a need for the ecological construction of tourism. Therefore, taking Zhejiang Province as a case case, it is of typical significance to explore the coupling and coordinated development of tourism industry and ecological security and its obstacle factors to promote the high-quality development of tourism industry and the construction of ecological civilization.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2 Theoretical basis of coupling\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe concept of coupling was initially developed within the field of physics to denote the phenomenon in which multiple systems or forms of motion interact with each other (Sheng et al., 2009).The evolution of the tourism industry exerts a profound influence on various aspects of destination development and utilization, encompassing the sustainable use of resources, environmental quality and risk management, ecosystem health and services, and biodiversity. This influence is exerted through a multitude of mechanisms, including facility construction, resource consumption, waste emission, natural landscape modification, policy influence, and public participation. In response to these impacts, the concept of eco-safety emerges, aiming to provide a high-quality ecological environment and natural landscape, thereby reducing environmental and disaster risks, and enhancing ecological service functions.The coupling relation between the tourism industry and ecological safety is illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;2.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe tourism industry is dependent on numerous natural resources,the influx of tourists and the expansion of tourism facilities have exacerbated resource consumption and environmental stress, which can lead to environmental pollution and ecosystem degradation (Han \u0026amp; Li, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). The construction and operation of tourism infrastructure directly disrupts the environment, such as land development and habitat loss, which destroys the structure and function of the ecosystem (Gazta, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).Recreational activities have changed the supply of ecosystem services in tourist destinations, affecting functions such as water conservation, air purification, and soil retention, and having a negative impact on biodiversity (Kyara et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).Meanwhile,the development of sustainable tourism models and effective environmental management policies are crucial in reducing the negative impact on the environment. Through environmental policies, sustainable tourism practices, and environmental monitoring, it is possible to enhance the ecological safety of the tourism destination (Khan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe ecological safety of tourism sites exerts a significant feedback and moderating effect on the tourism industry. First, the presence of favorable ecological safety not only enhances the attractiveness of tourism resources and product competitiveness, but also provides a solid foundation for the development of the tourism industry (Ma et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, it offers high-quality landscape visual effects and optimal eco-tourism experiences, which can improve tourists' satisfaction and willingness to revisit, thereby enhancing the quality of industrial development (Wang \u0026amp; Zhang, 2023). Secondly, the maintenance of ecological safety reduces the operational risks and management costs of tourism by reducing environmental risks and emergencies, thereby enhancing the scale of the tourism industry and its resilience to risks (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, the enhancement of ecological safety in tourism sites has been shown to improve environmental quality and ecological service functions, including air purification, water conservation, and soil protection,optimize the tourism industry environment and sustainable development potential (Zhao \u0026amp; Guo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR78\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).Scientific ecological management and policy regulation have been demonstrated to facilitate the harmonious development of ecological security and the tourism industry, thereby promoting the realization of sustainable tourism development goals (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3 Evaluation Indicators\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3.1 Evaluation indicators of the tourism industry\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe present study is founded on extant research on coupled evaluation models (Zhou et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; He et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), in conjunction with the actual situation of the tourism industry in the case area,to evaluate the development of the tourism industry using four dimensions: industrial economic performance, industrial factor composition, industrial development potential, and industrial innovation capacity. Industrial performance is defined as the economic results and competitiveness performance of an industry within a specified period, achieved through resource allocation, technological innovation, and market competition (Jorgenson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e). It reflects a comprehensive assessment of an industry's performance in terms of economic growth, resource allocation, technological progress, market competitiveness, and sustainable development. In this study, the following indicators are employed to measure the industry's economic performance: domestic tourism revenue, tourism foreign exchange income, domestic tourists reception, inbound tourists reception, travel agency business income, and star-rated hotel business income.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe tourism industry encompasses not only the service sectors that engage directly with tourists, such as travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, and attractions, but also the industries that provide indirect support to these services, including transportation, culture and entertainment, retail, and public facilities (Leiper, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e).Limited to the availability of data, the number of travel agencies, number of star-rated hotels, number of travel agency employees, and star-rated hotel employees, which are elements of the industry, were selected as evaluation indicators for this study. The development potential of the tourism industry refers to the possibility of growth and development of the tourism industry through market expansion, resource development, technological innovation and policy support in the future (Dwyer \u0026amp; Kim, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Ritchie \u0026amp; Crouch, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e).This study uses the growth rate of domestic tourism income, tourism foreign exchange income, the number of domestic tourists and the number of inbound tourists as the evaluation indicators to measure the potential of the tourism industry in Zhejiang Province.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial innovation refers to the process of upgrading industries and enhancing competitiveness through the adoption of new technologies, processes, products, or business models, including aspects such as technological innovation, management innovation, service innovation, and market innovation (Chesbrough, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Innovation capacity is the driving force behind the high-quality development of the tourism industry. Based on existing research (He et al.), this study uses the full-time equivalent of tourism R\u0026amp;D (Research and Development) and the proportion of tourism R\u0026amp;D expenditure as a share of total government expenditure to measure innovation capacity (Wang \u0026amp; Li, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR69\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Specifically, the full-time equivalent of tourism R\u0026amp;D is represented by the product of the R\u0026amp;D full-time equivalent and the proportion of total tourism revenue to GDP, while tourism R\u0026amp;D expenditure is represented by the product of R\u0026amp;D expenditure and the proportion of total tourism revenue to GDP.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvaluation index of tourism industry and ecological safety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSystem Level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Standard Layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex Interpretation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"15\" rowspan=\"16\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTourism industry (A)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial economic performance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDomestic tourism revenue: A1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100 million\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReaction the direct economic output generated by domestic tourism industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTourism foreign exchange income A2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBillions of dollars\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt reflects the contribution of the international tourism industry to the foreign exchange reserves\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDomestic tourist reception volume A3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThousands of people\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the intensity of domestic demand and the industrial scale of the tourism industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEntry-bound visitor reception capacityA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand person-time\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt reflects the market size of the inbound industry and the global tourism attraction of the destination\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTravel agency operating incomeA\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand yuan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflect the economic scale and profitability of the travel agency industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStar-rated hotel operating incomeA\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand yuan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflect the economic scale and profitability of the star hotel industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial elements\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of travel agenciesA\u003csub\u003e7\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflects the scale and market competition status of the travel agency industry.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of star hotelsA\u003csub\u003e8\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDisplays the tourism reception capacity and the scale of star - rated hotels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of travel agency employeesA\u003csub\u003e9\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerson\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflects the human resource scale and employment contribution of the travel agency industry.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStar-rated hotel employeesA\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerson\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflects the human resource scale and employment contribution of the star - rated hotel industry.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial development potential\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrowth rate of domestic tourism revenueA\u003csub\u003e11\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReveal the annual expansion speed of the domestic tourism industry scale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrowth rate of tourism foreign exchange revenueA\u003csub\u003e12\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt reflects the growth rate of the size of the inbound tourism market and the capacity of foreign exchange revenue generation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe growth rate of domestic touristsA\u003csub\u003e13\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflect the activity degree and growth dynamics of the domestic tourism market\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe growth rate of the number of inbound touristsA\u003csub\u003e14\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflect the international competitiveness and attraction of the tourism industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial innovation ability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTravel R \u0026amp; D full-time equivalentA\u003csub\u003e15\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThousands of people\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstand and evaluate the intensity of resources invested in the tourism industry in research and development\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe proportion of tourism R \u0026amp; D expenditureA\u003csub\u003e16\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo represent the importance the government attaches to tourism research and development investment and innovative development\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3.2 Ecological security evaluation indicators\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the context of the continuous degradation of global ecosystems, the establishment of an evaluation framework for ecological security assessment has emerged as a focal point in academic research (Kostyack et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Among various assessment models, the Pressure-State-Response (PRS) model, proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), quantifies the pressures exerted on the environment by human activities to evaluate alterations in the environmental state and examines the responses of society and government, aiming to achieve environmental management and sustainable development objectives (OECD, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1993\u003c/span\u003e). The PRS model has been extensively employed to appraise the ecosystem security of tourist destinations and its evolutionary trajectory. It can systematically disclose the impacts of human tourism economic activities on ecosystems and the feedback mechanisms within the ecosystems themselves, thereby furnishing a scientific foundation for guiding ecological protection and management decisions in tourist destinations. Consequently, it has been widely utilized in studies monitoring and assessing the ecological conditions and changes in tourist destinations (Tsaur et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Liu et al., 2006; Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn light of the foregoing, with the intention of effectively evaluating the ecological security situation in Zhejiang Province, a comprehensive organization and summarization of the PSR (Pressure-State-Response) model framework for ecological security has been carried out. Precisely, the \"Pressure\" dimension pertains to the direct or indirect influences that human social and economic activities impose on ecosystems and the natural environment. This encompasses aspects such as environmental pollution, excessive exploitation of resources, and alterations in land use patterns, all of which possess the potential to precipitate a deterioration in environmental quality or inflict harm on the well-being of the ecosystem (Steffen et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). The \"State\" aspect represents the existing condition of an ecosystem or ecological environment, mirroring the specific manifestations of environmental quality and the health status of the ecosystem (Cheng et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The \"Response\" component refers to the measures and actions implemented by society, the government, and relevant institutions in reaction to the changes observed in the pressures and states of the ecosystem or environment (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). These responses are designed to mitigate or eradicate the existing pressures and to rehabilitate and enhance the environmental state (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). On the basis of this framework, a set of 16 indicators has been meticulously selected for the assessment of the ecological security of Zhejiang Province, adhering to the principles of scientific rigor, reliability, and comprehensiveness (Table\u0026nbsp;2).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvaluation index ecological safety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSystem Level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Standard Layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex Layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex Interpretation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"15\" rowspan=\"16\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEcological Safety (B)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePressure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePer capita GDP growth rateB\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo measure the direct impact of economic growth on natural resource consumption\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNatural population growth rateB\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess the potential pressures on ecosystems from population growth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrbanization levelB\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe pressure of urban expansion and population growth on the ecosystem and resource consumption\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal wastewater dischargeB\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand tons\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo measure the pressure of social and economic development on the water ecological environment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal SO2 emissionsB\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand tons\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the impact of industrial development on air quality and the degree of air pollution\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSolid waste discharge amountB\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen thousand tons\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReacting the pressure of industrial production and human life on the ecological environment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eState\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage of forest coverB\u003csub\u003e7\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReacting ecosystem service functions and biodiversity levels\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGreen garden areaB\u003csub\u003e8\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003em\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the level of urban greening and its mitigation on urban heat island effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePer capita park green space areaB\u003csub\u003e9\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003em\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the quality of urban ecological environment and the living quality of urban residents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater resources per capitaB\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003em\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs to assess the richness and safety level of water resources\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePer capita arable land areaB\u003csub\u003e11\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHectare\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFood production potential and food supply security of land resources\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePer Capita Forest Land AreaB\u003csub\u003e12\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHectare\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflect carbon storage capacity and biodiversity protection functions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban Domestic Sewage Treatment Rate (B13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvaluate urban sewage treatment capacity and water quality safety.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDomestic Garbage Harmless Treatment Rate (B14)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvaluate the effectiveness of domestic garbage management and residents' living quality.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSolid Waste Comprehensive Utilization Rate (B15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvaluate the waste management level and the resource recycling efficiency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProportion of Environmental Protection Expenditure in GDP (B16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo measure the economic commitment and environmental importance to environmental protection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4Measurement models\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4.1 Linear weighting model\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince the linear weighting model is characterized by simplicity and ease of operation (Chang et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e), it was applied to measure the tourism industry development index It and ecological security index Ie of Zhejiang Province, and the computational model is shown in Eq.\u0026nbsp;(1). In order to eliminate the errors caused by the difference in the scale and reduce the impact of subjectivity on the quantitative results of the data, the weights of the evaluation indexes were calculated using the mean square deviation method.\u003cdiv id=\"Equ1\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ1\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:I={\\sum\\:}_{i}^{j}{u}_{ij}{w}_{ij}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e1\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4.2 Coupled coordination models\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, the degree of coupling coordination model was used to evaluate the degree of coupling coordination between tourism industry and ecological security. The coupling coordination degree model includes coupling degree model and coordination degree model, the former is used to describe the degree of interdependence between systems, and the latter is used to reflect the degree of mutual coordination between systems (Li \u0026amp; Peng, 2020). Among them, the coupling degree C is calculated as:\u003cdiv id=\"Equ2\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ2\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:\\text{C}=2\\sqrt{{U}_{1}\\times\\:{U}_{2}/{({U}_{1}+{U}_{2})}^{2}}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e2\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the formula, U1 and U2 represent the level of development of new tourism industry and the degree of coordinated development of regional economy, respectively. The value range of the coupling degree is [0, 1], and the closer the indicator tends to 1, the higher the degree of coupling between the two, and vice versa.\u003cdiv id=\"Equ3\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ3\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:\\text{D}=\\sqrt{C\\times\\:T}，T={\\alpha\\:U}_{1}+\\beta\\:{U}_{2}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e3\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the formula, T represents the comprehensive coordination index of the level of tourism industry development and the degree of ecological safety coordination development; α, β for the coefficient to be determined, this study believes that the ecological safety coordination is slightly more important than the industry development, and draws on the relevant literature research (Zhang \u0026amp; Wang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e ) on α assigned a weight of 0.4, β assigned a weight of 0.6; D on behalf of the degree of coordination of the coupling of the two systems, taking the value of the range [ 0, 1], the higher the value of D indicates that the higher the degree of coordination of the coupling of the two systems. 0, 1], the higher the value of D, the higher the degree of coupling coordination between the two systems. In order to further elucidate the coupling coordination degree of the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, this paper, based on drawing on existing research (Shu et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), divides the coupling coordination grade of the two into the following 10 types (Table\u0026nbsp;3).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClassification criteria of coupling coordination level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCoupling Coordination Degree D Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0,0.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.1,0.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.2,0.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.3,0.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.4,0.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.5,0.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.6,0.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.7,0.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.8,0.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.9,1]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCoordination Level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCoupling Coordination Degree\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExtreme Imbalance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSevere Imbalance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate Imbalance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMild Imbalance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the Verge of Imbalance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBarely Coordinated\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eElementary Coordinated\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerately Coordinated\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWell Coordinated\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExcellent Coordination\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4.3 Trend analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTrend analysis has the advantage of simplicity and intuition to accurately model the spatial distribution pattern of geographic elements by finding the best-fitting polynomials to interpolate the regional scatters to obtain the trend surface (Wang \u0026amp; Fu, 2016). The computational model is as follows:\u003cdiv id=\"Equ4\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ4\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{Z}_{i}({u}_{i},\\:{v}_{i})={T}_{i}({u}_{i},\\:{v}_{i})+{ϵ}_{i}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e4\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ5\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ5\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{T}_{i}({u}_{i},{v}_{i})={\\beta\\:}_{0}+{\\beta\\:}_{1}\\text{u}+{\\beta\\:}_{2}\\text{v}+{\\beta\\:}_{3}{u}^{2}+{\\beta\\:}_{4}{v}^{2}+{\\beta\\:}_{5}uv$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e5\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere Z\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e (u\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e ,v\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e) is the degree of coupling coordination between tourism industry and ecological security in i Zhejiang Province, (u\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e ,v\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e) is the spatial plane coordinates, T\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e (u\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e ,v\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e) is the trend function, is the autocorrelation stochastic error, i.e., the error that exists between the two degree of coupling coordination in i city and the trend value.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e3.4.4 Barrier degree model\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis paper uses the obstacle degree model, which introduces three indicators, namely factor contribution degree, indicator deviation degree and obstacle degree, and is able to quantitatively analyze the influence of industrial economic performance, industrial components, industrial development potential, industrial innovation ability, and ecological security pressure, state and response on the degree of coupling and coordination of the two in the tourism industry. Firstly, we introduce the calculation of indicator deviation degree, which indicates the gap between the actual value of the indicator and the optimal value.\u003cdiv id=\"Equ6\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ6\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:I=1-X$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e6\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRecalculation of the indicator barrier degree\u003cdiv id=\"Equ7\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ7\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{o}_{ij}=\\frac{{F}_{j}{I}_{ij}}{{\\sum\\:}_{j=1}^{n}{F}_{j}{I}_{ij}}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e7\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ8\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ8\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{\\text{O}}_{\\text{i}\\text{j}}=\\sum\\:{\\text{o}}_{\\text{i}\\text{j}}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e8\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere X is the standard value of the indicator; Iij is the deviation degree of the indicator, and Fj is the contribution degree of the factor, i.e., the weight of a single indicator; oij and Oij are the degree of obstacles between the indicator layer indicators and the factor layer indicators to the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province (Li et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.5 Data sources\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data for this paper come from China Tourism Statistical Yearbook (2001\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2013), China Environmental Statistical Yearbook (2001\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2012), China Urban Statistical Yearbook (2000\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2012), Zhejiang Provincial Statistical Yearbook (2001\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2013), Zhejiang Provincial Statistical Bulletin of National Economy and Social Development 2000\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2012, Zhejiang Provincial Environmental Condition Bulletin 2000\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;2012, Zhejiang Municipal Statistical Yearbook, Environmental Condition Bulletin, National Economy and Social Development Bulletin, and the statistical survey data of Zhejiang Municipal Tourism Bureau. 2012, the bulletin of environmental conditions in Zhejiang Province, the statistical yearbook, the bulletin of environmental conditions, the statistical bulletin of national economic and social development of Zhejiang Province, and the statistical survey data of tourism bureaus in Zhejiang Province. In this paper, the original data are standardized by the method of extreme deviation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e4.1 Time - series characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe coupling coordination degree model was applied to calculate the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry system and the ecological security system. According to Table 4, from 2008 to 2022, the coupling degree C value of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province was within the range of [0.9164\u0026ndash;0.9998], remaining in a high - level coupling stage for a long time. This indicates that the interaction between the tourism resources and ecological security in Zhejiang Province has been effectively stimulated.During the same period, the coupling coordination degree D value of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province was in the range of [0.6085, 0.8356]. From 2008 to 2011, the two were in the primary coupling and coordinated development stage. From 2012 to 2015, they entered the intermediate coupling and coordination stage. In 2016, they reached the good - coordinated development stage. However, due to the impact of the epidemic in 2019, it dropped back to the intermediate - coordinated and primary - coordinated stages. This shows that the trend of highly coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and the ecological environment in Zhejiang Province is not obvious.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCouple and coupling degree results of Zhejiang tourism industry and ecological security from 2008 to 2022\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2009\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2010\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2011\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2012\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2013\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2014\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2015\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2017\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2019\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2020\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoupling Degree C\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9953\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9997\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9924\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9721\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9951\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9987\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9980\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9998\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9996\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9990\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9994\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9996\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9555\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9164\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.9185\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoordination Index T\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4086\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3864\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3396\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3810\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4999\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.5551\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.5757\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6164\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6995\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6907\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6658\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6136\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4607\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4765\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4256\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoupling Coordination Degree D\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6377\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6215\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6272\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6085\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.7053\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.7446\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.7580\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.7839\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.8362\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.8307\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.8157\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.7832\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6634\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6608\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.6252\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoordination Grade\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoupling and Coordination Status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntermediate Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntermediate Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntermediate Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntermediate Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGood Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGood Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGood Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntermediate Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary Coordination\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e4.2 Spatiotemporal evolution characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe coupling coordination degree classification criteria were combined to determine the grades and statistical characteristics of the coupling coordination degree (Table\u0026nbsp;3). Relying on the geostatistical trend analysis method (Trend Analysis) of the ArcGIS 10.8 software platform, three - dimensional spatial perspective diagrams were drawn based on the coupling coordination degree values of various cities in Zhejiang Province in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. These diagrams are used to reveal the overall spatial pattern and evolution trends of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province.In the diagrams, the X - axis represents the due east direction, that is, the green line is the fitting line of the change trend of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities in the east - west direction; the Y - axis represents the due north direction, that is, the blue line represents the fitting line of the change trend of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities in the north - south direction; and the Z - axis represents the attribute value of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of the overall spatiotemporal evolution characteristics (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3), the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province shows a distribution feature of higher in the west and lower in the east in the east - west direction, and evolves from higher in the north and lower in the south to being basically level in the north - south direction.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSpecifically:① From 2008 to 2022, the east - west trend line exhibits an obvious \u0026quot;inverted U - shaped\u0026quot; spatial characteristic. With the passage of time, the slope of the east - side trend line becomes steeper, while the slope of the west - side trend line is gentler. This indicates that the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in the central cities of Zhejiang, with Jinhua as the core, has improved, but the coupling and coordinated development in the eastern cities is slow. Meanwhile, the coupling and coordinated development in eastern cities such as Ningbo and Taizhou lags behind that in western cities such as Hangzhou and Quzhou.② Compared with the east - west trend line, the spatial difference change of the north - south trend line is significant. In the initial stage, the slope of the north - side trend line is smaller than that of the south - side trend line. As time goes by, both the north - south trend lines show an upward trend and the gap between the north and the south gradually narrows. That is, the coupling and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in southern cities of Zhejiang such as Wenzhou and Lishui is relatively fast, and the gap with the northern cities is gradually decreasing.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo further analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province, this study plotted the spatial distribution maps of the coupling coordination degree in various cities of Zhejiang Province in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;4). As can be seen from Fig.\u0026nbsp;4:(1) Hangzhou, located in western Zhejiang, has relatively high comprehensive indices for both the tourism industry and ecological security. The two have always been in a moderately coupled and coordinated state, performing the best among the 11 cities in Zhejiang Province. In contrast, Quzhou, located in the southwest, has only gradually improved to a barely coupled development stage.(2) Jiaxing and Huzhou in northern Zhejiang have relatively stable coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, remaining in the barely - coupled and coordinated stage.(3) Ningbo and Taizhou in eastern Zhejiang have relatively good coupling coordination degrees, and their coupling coordination degrees are gradually increasing. However, Zhoushan and Shaoxing perform poorly. The former is generally on the verge of collapse, while the latter has declined from barely coordinated to on the verge of collapse.(4) Jinhua in the central - southern part of Zhejiang has a moderate speed of coupled and coordinated development, evolving from barely coordinated to the primary - coordinated stage. Wenzhou and Lishui are gradually evolving to the primary and barely - coupled and coordinated stages.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e4.3 Obstacle Degree Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of systems science, coordinated development refers to the evolutionary process in which subsystems and their elements within a system adapt to, collaborate with, and promote each other, enabling the system to evolve from a lower - level to a higher - level state, from disorder to order, and from simplicity to complexity (Wang H., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security is closely related to the interactions among their respective subsystems and influencing factors. Here, the obstacle degree model is employed to analyze the key influencing factors for the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security in various cities of Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2022. Given that, since 2010, some cities in Zhejiang Province have shown a gradually improving trend in the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security, and the obstacle factors involve multiple specific indicators and time points. This study calculates the obstacle degrees at both the criterion level and the indicator level within the evaluation index system, and presents the results using average values. The specific results are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;5.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"char\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage Obstacle Degree Values of Tourism Industry and Ecological Security Criteria Layer (%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth colspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTourism Industry\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEcological Security\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndustry Economic Performance\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndustry Constituent Elements\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndustry Development Potential\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndustry Innovation Ability\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePressure\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eState\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHangzhou City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e94.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNingbo City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWenzhou City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e66.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJiaxing City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e63.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHuzhou City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eShaoxing City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJinhua City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eQuzhou City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eZhoushan City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTaizhou City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e66.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLishui City\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of the tourism industry, in the cities of Zhejiang Province except Hangzhou, the obstacle factors impeding the coupled and coordinated development between the tourism industry and ecological security mainly concentrate on two aspects: industrial economic performance and industrial component elements. Specifically: (1) In Hangzhou, the main obstacle at the criterion layer of tourism industry development lies in industrial development potential. The major obstacle factors are the growth rate of domestic tourism income and the growth rate of the number of domestic tourists, with obstacle degrees of 41.38 and 19.30 respectively, which are the highest among all cities in Zhejiang Province. (2) Among the remaining ten cities in Zhejiang Province, the obstacle factors at the criterion layer predominantly manifest as industrial economic performance and industrial component elements. In terms of industrial economic performance, for cities like Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Taizhou, the obstacle factors mainly involve tourism foreign exchange earnings and the number of inbound tourist receptions. Additionally, for Lishui City, the main obstacle factor also includes the operating income of star-rated hotels. For the other cities, the obstacle factors mainly present as tourism foreign exchange earnings and the operating income of star-rated hotels. For instance, in Jiaxing City, the obstacle degree of tourism foreign exchange earnings is 11.80, and that of the operating income of star-rated hotels is 9.15. Secondly, in terms of industrial component elements, the obstacle factors in the ten cities mainly focus on the number of travel agencies and the number of their employees. For example, in Ningbo City, the obstacle degree of the number of travel agencies and that of the number of employees in travel agencies are both 8.26.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAt the ecological security level, the obstacle factors for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in all cities of Zhejiang Province are mainly reflected in the state criterion layer, while those in the pressure and response aspects are relatively minor. This fully indicates that the ecological environment quality of each city is the main factor influencing the coupled and coordinated development. Specifically: (1) For the ten cities other than Lishui, the per capita water resources and per capita forest land area are the main obstacle factors. In the future, emphasis should be placed on the intensive utilization and development of water resources and greater efforts should be made to protect biodiversity. (2) In Lishui City, the differences in the average values of the obstacle factors among the pressure system, the state system, and the response system are relatively small. However, the obstacle degree of the state system remains the largest, with the green space area and the per capita park green space area being the main obstacle factors. During the development of the urban tourism industry, the urban greening level should be strengthened. In the pressure system, the main obstacle factors are the urbanization level and the growth rate of per capita GDP.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e5.1 Policy Orientation, Technological Progress, Uncertain Events and the Temporal Evolution Characteristics of the Coupling and Coordination between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security (TECE)\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security is a complex dynamic process influenced by multiple factors (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). In this study, from 2008 to 2022, the coupling degrees of the two subsystems, namely the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province, were both in a high - level range. However, during the same period, the threshold of the coupling coordination degree index was lower than that of the coupling degree index, indicating that an effective coordination relationship had not been formed between the two subsystems.Nevertheless, during this period, the coupling coordination degree evolved from the primary coupling and coordination state to a good - coupling and coordination state over time, suggesting that the coordination relationship between the subsystems was gradually improving. However, the huge impact of the COVID \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;19 pandemic in 2019 dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry subsystem, greatly reducing the coupling coordination degree index.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe changes described above reflect that the coupling coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security is determined not only by the development of the subsystems themselves but also by the relationship between the two subsystems. Lee (2022) argues that green finance influences ecological security through paths such as large - scale agricultural operations, agricultural technological progress, and ecological industrialization\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e. In the central region of Iran, ecotourism activities, overgrazing by livestock, uncontrolled natural and economic activities, and extensive road and highway development are all threat factors affecting ecological security\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e. In the Changbai Mountain region of China, wetland ecological security has also been negatively affected by factors including urbanization, real estate development, and wetland tourism. Therefore, the coupling and coordination level of the tourism industry and ecological security proposed in this paper is also closely related to the policy environment, technological environment, and uncertain events in which it is located.First, since 2008, China has implemented the ecological civilization development strategy. Through policy means such as the environmental access system, ecological compensation mechanism, and environmental quality red - line control (Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR83\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), the government has regulated and guided the steady development of the tourism industry under ecological pressure. In the initial stage, ecological environment regulation policies restrict the model of ecotourism resource utilization, forcing the tourism industry to transform towards an ecological and green direction. In this process, the improvement of ecological environment protection technologies can effectively promote the expansion of the ecotourism industry scale. Moreover, through measures such as ecological restoration, ecological facilities, and treatment of environmental waste (Zheng et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR84\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), ecological security can be significantly improved. For example, the treatment technology for microplastic pollution caused by tourism design, construction, and tourism activities on Wuzhizhou Island in China\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e has enabled the development state of the coupling between the tourism industry and the ecological security system to shift from antagonism in the initial stage of policy implementation to a stable state of positive interaction.However, the COVID \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;19 pandemic, a public event, has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry system. Major components of the entire tourism industry chain, such as travel agencies, tourist attractions, and the accommodation and catering industries, have basically been paralyzed (Tang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). This has made it difficult to sustain the virtuous cycle mechanism that originally relied on high - quality, differentiated ecotourism products and their premium effects to promote ecological protection. The growth rate of the system has approached zero, resulting in a significant decline in the coupling coordination index of the two. Especially in the face of large - scale sudden risks, the deficiencies have become apparent, and it is difficult to bridge the gap between the decline of the industry and the sharp reduction in ecological investment. This reflects the vulnerability of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism when facing external shocks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e5.2 The endowment of tourism resources, industrial structure, and ecological governance capacity have contributed to the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe scale and types of tourism resource endowments, which are the fundamental components of the development of the tourism industry, play a fundamental role. This is because these characteristics determine the product models and directions for the transformation of tourism resources into the tourism industry (Ma \u0026amp; Hassink, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). A tourism industry approach that inclines towards non - damaging and pollution - free operations is more conducive to supporting the stability of the ecological security system (Zhou et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR77\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).Meanwhile, the regional industrial structure with the tourism industry as its foundation can also influence ecological security through the management and control of the negative effects in the process of industrial input - production (Fu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, the level of ecological governance capacity will ultimately affect the ability to address ecological environment damage (Zhou et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR77\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The combined influence of these three levels has led to significant spatial heterogeneity in the coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the analysis results of this paper, cities such as Hangzhou and Lishui possess relatively superior mountain - water ecological conditions and profound cultural heritages. The organic integration of landscape resources and traditional culture has formed cultural - based tourism products and related industrial systems, including leisure vacations, ecological sightseeing, and high - end cultural and tourism experiences. The development model of the tourism industry in these cities is relatively conducive to the mutual promotion of tourism development and ecological environment protection, thus having an inherent advantage in enhancing the coupling coordination degree.In contrast, cities like Ningbo, Zhoushan, and Taizhou in the eastern coastal area rely more on coastal and island ecological resources in tourism resource development. The developed tourism products mainly focus on sightseeing - based scenic spots. Although these areas have superior geographical locations and active economies, the high - intensity port and shipping industries, marine economy, and intensive development have put pressure on the environmental carrying capacity. Coupled with the relatively slow recovery rate of the marine ecosystem, the TECE index level in these areas is relatively lagging.Huzhou and Jiaxing in the northern region are located in the plain and lake areas. The resource types there are relatively single, and the development and utilization intensity is high. The transformation of the traditional industrial structure and land - use pattern is slow, which has imposed certain constraints on the coupling and coordination between tourism and ecology.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTherefore, it can be seen that cities that integrated the concept of high - quality development with green economic practices at an earlier stage can launch tourism products featuring high - value - added business forms such as cultural and creative industries, ecological health preservation, and outdoor sports. The overall development level of the local economy and the diversified industrial structure can provide relatively stable financial and intellectual support for ecological restoration and ecological compensation.In contrast, although the eastern coastal and northern regions have a large economic aggregate, manufacturing, port logistics, and traditional service industries still account for a relatively large proportion in the regional economy. The structural adjustment of the tourism industry and ecological investment are difficult to be promoted simultaneously in the short term, which leads to a relatively slow improvement in the coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security.Of course, there are still differences in the implementation of green development policies, the construction of ecological compensation systems, and the maturity of environmental governance mechanisms in various regions. For example, the western and central - southern regions of Zhejiang implemented ecological function zoning, environmental quality red lines, and relevant ecological compensation policies earlier and more thoroughly. The eastern coastal and northern regions still need more institutional innovation and policy support in balancing tourism economic growth and environmental protection.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e5.3 Structural Constraints of the Tourism Industry and Path Dependence in Regional Economic Transformation Jointly Create Obstacle Factors\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustrial components, types and quality of the ecosystem play different roles in ecological security\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e. Ruan's conclusion that the key influencing factors of tourism ecological security include the growth rate of the tertiary industry and tourism density is consistent\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e. To continuously improve the coordinated development of the coupling between the tourism industry and the ecological security system, regions based on tourism, the ecological environment, and biological resources must comprehensively implement the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. In this regard, Zhang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR81\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) proposed two combined and corresponding models: natural feedback and management feedback\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e.Compared with the research results of this paper, it is found that the factors influencing the changes in the coupling coordination degree index between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province are mainly dynamic factors, namely, per capita water resources, per capita forest land area, as well as development - related indicators such as foreign exchange earnings from tourism, the number of inbound tourists received, star - rated hotels, and travel agencies. These are basically similar to the above - mentioned research conclusions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe reason lies in that during the research period, in terms of improving international performance indicators such as the number of inbound tourists received and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in Zhejiang, it was difficult for the \"quantity\" and \"quality\" of resource endowments to quickly meet the high - end international demands.First, although the high - quality ecological environment is conducive to shaping unique tourism attractions, the international influence and international service chain are still not perfect. The shaping of international brands, the construction of a global marketing network, and the exploration of high - end tourist markets cannot be achieved overnight.Second, ecological state indicators such as per capita water resources and per capita forest land area still show insufficient room for improvement in the face of the increasing tourism reception pressure and potential ecological risks. Although ecological protection policies support the stability of indicators such as per capita water resources and per capita forest land area, the improvement of these resource state indicators requires long - term continuous investment and scientific governance. The structural contradiction between resources and utilization has created internal bottlenecks for both the improvement of industrial performance and the consolidation of ecological security.Third, traditional tourism service components such as travel agencies and star - rated hotels have made relatively slow progress in improving service quality and aligning with international standards. It is difficult to quickly meet the international market's requirements for high - end accommodation, customized tourism products, and comprehensive service experiences, resulting in slow growth in the number of inbound tourists received and foreign exchange earnings from tourism. This path dependence in the transformation of the regional economic structure makes it difficult to significantly improve the obstacles related to tourism industry performance in the short term. Coupled with the market impact and the international competition pattern, the coupling and coordination mechanism between the tourism industry and ecological security has not formed sufficient resilience, making the effect of policy promotion not obvious in the short term and increasing the difficulty of improving ecological state indicators.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusion, implication and limitation","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e6.1 Conclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coupling and coordination development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province shows an upward trend, evolving from primary coordination to intermediate coordination, and further to good coordination. This indicates that there exists a positive interaction mechanism between the tourism industry and ecological security. Economic growth in tourism contributes to the promotion of ecological civilization construction, while improvements in ecological security indices also provide impetus for sustainable tourism development. However, the overall development trend remains inconspicuous, exhibiting certain volatility and uncertainty. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the coupling and coordination degree between the two, suggesting that the coordination mechanism between the regional tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province lacks sufficient resilience and stability in responding to emergencies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coupling and coordination development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province faces dual obstacles: one related to industrial performance and the other to the \"status\" of ecological security. In the tourism industry dimension, the inadequacy of performance indicators (such as foreign exchange earnings from tourism and inbound tourist reception) reveals weaknesses in market expansion and product appeal, indicating that the international competitiveness of the tourism industry has not yet reached the expected level. In the ecological security dimension, constraints on \"status\" indicators such as per capita water resources and forest land area highlight the significant restrictive nature of natural resources.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province exhibits significant regional disparities. The western region, represented by Hangzhou, shows a higher level of coupling and coordination, reflecting the region's comprehensive advantages in terms of tourism resource endowment, ecological environmental governance capacity, industrial structure optimization, and policy support. In contrast, the eastern coastal cities and northern regions demonstrate relatively delayed development, particularly in areas such as the ecological upgrading of the tourism industry and the improvement of resource utilization efficiency, where significant gaps still exist.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e6.2 Theoretical Implications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study breaks through the limitations of traditional research frameworks by innovatively proposing and constructing a Tourism-Ecological Security Coupling and Coordination Development Evaluation Index System (TECE). This system not only systematically integrates the key factors of tourism industry and ecological security, but also emphasizes the interaction mechanisms and feedback effects between the two, filling the gap in the existing literature on multidimensional, comprehensive evaluation systems. This approach provides a theoretical innovation pathway for future research on the relationship between tourism and ecology, facilitates a deeper understanding of the coupling and coordination relationship within complex systems, and offers new ideas for quantitative modeling in related fields.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Obstacle degree recognition model proposed in this study is based on the multiple dimensions of the coupling and coordination of the tourism industry and ecological security, providing valuable insights for theoretical research. In other words, existing literature often focuses on single factors or static analyses, lacking a systematic revelation of the interactions between multiple barrier factors within complex systems. Through an innovative approach, this study identifies and quantifies these multidimensional barriers, advancing interdisciplinary integration in theoretical development, particularly in the field of sustainable tourism and ecological security. It provides a theoretical foundation for evaluating the scientific and practical validity of assessment models.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough an in-depth analysis of the spatial-temporal characteristics of the coupling and coordination status between the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province, this study approaches the issue from a dynamic evolution perspective, opening up a new field for research on the relationship between tourism and ecological security. This study highlights the spatial-temporal dimensions of the coupling and coordination process between the two, offering a new perspective to existing literature. This theoretical innovation not only drives the cutting-edge development of research on green transformation and ecological civilization construction in tourist destinations but also provides new theoretical frameworks and methodological tools for complex system studies across regions and time scales.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e6.3 Practical Implications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security in Zhejiang Province faces the issue of insufficient industrial performance and inadequate ecological resource support. Therefore, a series of specific improvement measures should be formulated to address problems such as the lack of international market expansion capacity and the insufficient attractiveness of tourism products. First, efforts should be made to strengthen the precise positioning of the international market, promote the internationalization of locally distinctive tourism products, and enhance brand image and market competitiveness. Second, the overall level of the tourism service system should be improved, especially in the construction of infrastructure such as star-rated hotels and travel agencies. Enhancing reception capacity and service quality is crucial to support a higher level of coordinated development. At the same time, Zhejiang Province should increase its external publicity efforts, integrate existing tourism resources, expand both online and offline marketing channels, and further attract international tourists to expand market share.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of regional disparities, the western and central-southern regions of Zhejiang Province exhibit a relative advantage in the coupling and coordination of ecological security and tourism industry, while the eastern coastal and northern regions face certain developmental delays. Therefore, Zhejiang Province should formulate differentiated policy support measures based on the specific conditions of each region. For the western and central-southern regions, efforts should be made to intensify the development of ecotourism resources, promote the transformation of the local tourism industry towards green and low-carbon development, and improve resource utilization efficiency and ecological protection levels. As for the eastern coastal and northern regions, particularly cities such as Ningbo, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Huzhou, and Jiaxing, the ecological upgrading of the tourism industry should be strengthened, ecological environmental governance capabilities should be enhanced, and effective integration and optimization of tourism resources within the region should be promoted. In addition, the capacity of local governments in policy regulation and implementation should be strengthened, green tourism policy support should be improved, and the sustainable development of the regional tourism industry should be promoted.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the research findings, the scarcity of ecological resources, particularly the insufficiency of key ecological indicators such as water resources and forest land area, has become a bottleneck restricting the development of the tourism industry. Therefore, it is recommended that Zhejiang Province strengthen the dynamic monitoring and assessment of ecological carrying capacity in the future. It is advisable to establish and improve a tourism ecological security assessment and early warning system, which would monitor ecological resource changes dynamically, and adjust tourism development policies in a timely manner based on the monitoring results. Furthermore, improving the ecological compensation mechanism should also be a crucial measure for promoting the coordinated development of tourism and ecological security. The government should formulate reasonable ecological compensation policies to ensure the continuous protection of ecological security while enabling the tourism industry to achieve green transformation and innovative development, thereby promoting the deep integration of tourism and ecological security and enhancing the sustainable development momentum of Zhejiang's tourism industry.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e6.4 Limitation and future research\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, the study only selected data from a limited number of years for the ecological security analysis, which has hindered the development of a dynamic and comprehensive spatiotemporal monitoring framework, thus restricting the breadth of the assessment. Future research should establish a long-term and dynamic monitoring framework to more accurately capture the impacts of policy changes, technological advancements, and uncertain events on the coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and ecological security.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondly, the current research takes a relatively narrow disciplinary perspective and fails to fully integrate insights from economics, management, geography, environmental science, ecology, and sociology. Future studies should strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration to better analyze the complex interactions between tourism and ecological security, providing a more comprehensive understanding and a more refined decision-support system.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoreover, the assessment framework in this study mainly focuses on the macro level and does not adequately consider micro-level factors such as social participation and local governance. Future research should further refine the evaluation framework by incorporating multi-level and multidimensional factors, and combine big data and artificial intelligence techniques to develop more precise predictive models and risk early-warning systems.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDear Editors, In the study, we aim to constructs an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security by building a comprehensive coupled evaluation models.We examine our proposed models with the China Tourism Statistical Yearbook (2001~2013), China Environmental Statistical Yearbook (2001~2012),etc. The numerical results show that The TECE (Tourism-Ecological Coupling and Coordination) index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological security、The TECE index exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity and is closely related to pressure indicators such as population and economic factors and The main obstacle factors restricting the improvement of the TECE index demonstrate obvious dynamics.We believe that our paper is suited for the specific sub field named Tourism develops in harmony with ecological security as it addresses how to establish a scientific and effective evaluation framework to measure the interaction between tourism and ecological security.We also believe that the study and its findings will be of interest to the readers of your journal. The highlights of the paper are listed as below. Develop an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security by building a comprehensive coupled evaluation models. Demonstrate that the TECE index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological securityEnriches the theoretical understanding of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism and provides a scientific reference for the development of regional green transformation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe original data used in this study can be obtained through the following channels. First, the tourism industry data of Zhejiang Province is sourced from the Statistical Yearbook of Zhejiang Province (2008-2022) and the statistical yearbooks of various cities, which can be queried or applied for via the official website of Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics (https://tjj.zj.gov.cn/). Second, the ecological security data is derived from the Environmental Status Bulletin of Zhejiang Province and the public data of ecological environment bureaus in various cities, accessible through the official websites of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment (https://sthjt.zj.gov.cn/) and Zhejiang Provincial Department of Natural Resources (https://zrzyt.zj.gov.cn/). Third, supplementary data such as the full-time equivalent of tourism R\u0026amp;D and the proportion of R\u0026amp;D expenditure in some years are extracted from the public census reports on the official website of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (https://www.stats.gov.cn/).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAznar-Crespo P, Aledo A, Melgarejo-Moreno J (2020) Social vulnerability to natural hazards in tourist destinations of developed regions. Sci Total Environ 709:135870\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBramwell B (2015) Theoretical activity in sustainable tourism research. Annals Tourism Res 54:204\u0026ndash;218\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBuckley R (2009) Ecotourism: Principles and practices. 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J Resour Ecol 15(2):484\u0026ndash;495\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"tourism industry, ecological security, coordinated coupling degree, spatiotemporal evolution, obstacle factors","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eCurrently, the lack of a scientifically effective evaluation framework for measuring the interactive impact between the tourism industry and ecological security has hindered the policy understanding of green transformation in tourist destinations. Taking Zhejiang Province in China as an example, this study innovatively constructs an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of the tourism industry and ecological security. The findings are as follows: The TECE (Tourism - Ecological Coupling and Coordination) index, with the expansion of the tourism industry scale, initially exerts a coercive effect on ecological security. The TECE index exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity and is closely related to pressure indicators such as population and economic factors. The development of ecological industries is conducive to the promotion of the TECE index, while the expansion of the population and economic scale is not conducive to the stable development of TECE. The main obstacle factors mainly include per capital water resources, per capital forest land area, tourism foreign exchange income, inbound tourist reception, and improvement components such as star - rated hotels and travel agencies. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of the tourism - ecology coupling mechanism and provides a scientific reference for the development of regional green transformation.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of the Coordinated Development between the Tourism Industry and Ecological Security","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-18 11:26:10","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6613050/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-14T16:49:18+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"274921845984339097486729983331563626809","date":"2025-09-12T07:23:35+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-08T12:37:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"24962748900931044545656618838526479679","date":"2025-09-08T12:14:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"128973359591955067888898097130037675316","date":"2025-09-08T12:04:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-08-31T14:08:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"110969514915962141557272674082699462883","date":"2025-07-17T13:23:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-06-16T14:02:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-06-09T07:48:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-06-06T14:19:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-05-28T07:24:26+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","date":"2025-05-07T14:39:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f3011b03-8a9a-4606-9f7c-f6fa672393bf","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":50238681,"name":"Business and commerce/Economics"},{"id":50238682,"name":"Social science/Geography"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-31T08:38:27+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-18 11:26:10","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6613050","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6613050","identity":"rs-6613050","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}