Share:


High-speed rail and tourism expansion in China: a spatial spillover effect perspective

    Fan Zhang Affiliation
    ; Feng Wang Affiliation
    ; Shujie Yao Affiliation
    ; Fanjie Fu Affiliation

Abstract

Tourism exerts a great effect on the modern economy and relies largely on the flow of people facilitated by high-quality transportation infrastructure. Applying a spatial econometric method, this paper investigates the effect of high-speed rail (HSR) on tourism expansion in China from the view of the spatial spillover effect. Based on a 276 Chinese cities’ panel dataset over 2005–2019, a positive role of HSR in tourism expansion is observed. Compared with cities unconnected to the HSR network, cities accessible by HSR experienced a 22% increase in tourism revenue and a 38% rise in tourist arrivals. In addition, the connection of a city to the HSR network also exerts a great spatial spillover role in the increase of tourism revenue and arrivals in peripheral cities which are not directly connected by HSR. The research findings offer important insights on the relationship between transportation infrastructure and tourism with significant policy implications regarding tourism development.


First published online 6 November 2023

Keyword : high-speed rail, tourism, spatial spillover effect, China

How to Cite
Zhang, F., Wang, F., Yao, S., & Fu, F. (2023). High-speed rail and tourism expansion in China: a spatial spillover effect perspective. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 29(6), 1753–1775. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2023.19813
Published in Issue
Dec 21, 2023
Abstract Views
606
PDF Downloads
391
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Albalate, D., Campos, J., & Jiménez, J. L. (2017). Tourism and high speed rail in Spain: Does the AVE increase local visitors? Annals of Tourism Research, 65, 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.05.004

Badulescu, D., Simut, R., Mester, I., Dzitac S., Sehleanu, M., Bac, D. P., & Badulescu, A. (2021). Do economic growth and environment quality contribute to tourism development in EU countries? A panel data analysis. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 27(6), 1509–4921. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2021.15781

Biagi, B., Brandano, M. G., & Ortega-Argiles, R. (2020). Smart specialisation and tourism: Understanding the priority choices in EU regions. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 74(8), 100883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2020.100883

Blake, A., Sinclair, M. T., & Sugiyarto, G. (2003). Quantifying the impact of foot and mouth disease on tourism and the UK economy. Tourism Economics, 9(4), 449–465. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000003322663221

Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2008). Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the internet – The state of tourism research. Tourism Management, 29(4), 609–623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.01.005

Campa, J. L., López-Lambas, M. E., & Guirao, B. (2016). High speed rail effects on tourism: Spanish empirical evidence derived from China’s modelling experience. Journal of Transport Geography, 57, 44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.09.012

Castillo-Manzano, J. I., Castro-Nuño, M., López-Valpuesta, L., Pedregal-Tercero, D. J., & Garrido-Michó, J. M. (2018). High speed rail: Fast tracking tourism in the EU? Annals of Tourism Research, 71, 64–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2018.02.005

Chang, W. S., & Lee, Y. H. (2017). The macroeconomic contribution to foreign-exchange earnings from tourism in Taiwan. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(11), 1110–1115. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2016.1206062

Chen, Z., & Haynes, E. (2012). Tourism industry and high speed rail – is there a linkage: Evidence from China’s high speed rail development (George Mason University School of Policy, Government, & International Affairs Faculty Research Paper Series No. 2012-14) SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2130830

Chen, J. (2021). High-speed rail and energy consumption in China: The intermediary roles of industry and technology. Energy, 230, 120816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120816

Chen, Q., & Wang, M. (2022). Opening of high-speed rail and the consumer service industry: Evidence from China. Economic Analysis and Policy, 76, 31–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2022.07.010

China Railway Customer Service Center (n.d.). https://www.12306.cn/index/

Florentina, T. R. (2022). The utility of blockchain technology in the electronic commerce of tourism services: An exploratory study on Romanian consumers. Sustainability, 14(2), 943. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020943

Gao, Y. Y., Su, W., & Wang, K. N. (2019). Does high-speed rail boost tourism growth? New evidence from China. Tourism Management, 72, 220–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.12.003

Gavurova, B., Belas, J., Valaskova, K., Rigelsky, M., & Ivankova, V. (2021). Relations between infrastructure innovations and tourism spending in developed countries: A macroeconomic perspective. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 27(5), 1072–1094. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2021.15361

Guirao, B., Campa, L., & López-Lambas, E. (2016). The assessment of the HSR impacts on Spanish tourism: An approach based on multivariate panel data analysis. Transportation Research Procedia, 18, 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2016.12.027

Guizhou Provincial Bureau of Culture and Tourism. (n.d.). https://whhly.guizhou.gov.cn

Hiramatsu, T. (2018). Unequal regional iimpacts of high speed rail on the tourism industry: A simulation analysis of the effects of Kyushu Shinkansen. Transportation, 45, 677–701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-016-9746-y

Jin, S. H., Yang, J., Wang, E. X., & Cui, C. (2020). The Influence of high-speed rail on ice-snow tourism in northeast China. Tourism Management, 78, 104070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104070

Kahn, H., Phang, S., & Toh, R. (1995). The multiplier effect: Singapore’s hospitality industry. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 36(1), 64–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/001088049503600121

Khadaroo, J., & Seetanah, B. (2008). The role of transport infrastructure in international tourism development: A gravity model approach. Tourism Management, 29(5), 831–840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.09.005

Kurihara, T., & Wu, L. (2016). The impact of high speed rail on tourism development: A case study of Japan. The Open Transportation Journal, 10, 35–44. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874447801610010035

Larson, M., Lundberg, C., & Lexhagen, M. (2013). Thirsting for vampire tourism: Developing pop culture destinations. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(2), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2013.03.004

Lesage, J. P. (2008). An introduction to spatial econometrics. Revue D’Économie Industrielle, 123, 19–44. https://doi.org/10.4000/rei.3887

Li, L. S., Yang, F. X., & Cui, C. (2019). High-speed rail and tourism in China: An urban agglomeration perspective. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21, 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2240

Li, X., Huang, B., Li, R., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Exploring the impact of high seed railways on the spatial redistribution of economic activities – Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration as a case study. Journal of Transport Geography, 57, 194–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.10.011

Litvin, S. W., Goldsmith, R. E., & Pan, B. (2008). Electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. Tourism Management, 29(3), 459–468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.05.011

Liu, X., Jiang, C., Wang, F., & Yao, S. (2021). The impact of high-speed railway on urban housing prices in China: A network accessibility perspective. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 152, 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.08.006

Massidda, C., & Etzo, I. (2012). The determinants of italian domestic tourism: A panel data analysis. Tourism Management, 33(3), 603–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.06.017

Masson, S., & Petiot, R. (2009). Can the high speed rail reinforce tourism attractiveness? The case of the high speed rail between Perpignan (France) and Barcelona (Spain). Technovation, 29(9), 610–617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2009.05.013

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China (n.d.). https://www.mct.gov.cn/mctso/s?qt=5A%E6%99%AF%E5%8C%BA

Ming, C. C. (2013). Does tourism development promote economic growth in transition countries? A panel data analysis. Economic Modelling, 33, 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2013.04.024

Moore, W. R. (2010). The impact of climate change on Caribbean tourism demand. Current Issues in Tourism, 13(5), 495–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500903576045

Page, S., & Connell, J. (2014). Transport and tourism. In A. L. Alan, H. C. Michael, & M. W. Allan (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell companion to tourism, (pp. 155–167). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118474648.ch12

Pagliara, F., & Mauriello, F. (2020). Modelling the impact of high speed rail on tourists with geographically weighted poisson regression. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 132, 780–790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2019.12.025

Pagliara, F., Mauriello, F., & Garofalo, A. (2017). Exploring the interdependences between high speed rail systems and tourism: Some evidence from Italy. Transportation Research Part A: Policy & Practice, 106, 300–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.09.022

People’s Daily Online. (2018). New economic observation: The holiday economy releases consumption vitality and new business formats and new models develop strongly. http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2020/1030/c1004-31912715.html

Seetanah, B. (2005). Transport capital as a determinant of tourism development: A time series approach. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 1(1), 55–73. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/25402/

Song, R., & Lin, V. S. (2010). Impacts of the financial and economic crisis on tourism in Asia. Journal of Travel Research, 49(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287509353190

Song, X., Qiao, C., & Luo, J. (2021). Does high-speed rail opening affect the health care environment?-evidence from China. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 708527. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.708527

Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Railways. (2016). National railway passenger train timetable. China Railway Publishing House. (in Chinese)

Wang, D., Niu, Y., & Qian, J. (2018). Evolution and optimization of China’s urban tourism spatial structure: A high-speed rail perspective. Tourism Management, 64, 218–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.08.010

Wang, X., Huang, S., Zou, T., & Yan, H. (2012). Effects of the high speed rail network on China’s regional tourism development. Tourism Management Perspectives, 1, 34–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2011.10.001

Wong, Z., Chen, A., Shen, C. R., & Wu, D. L. (2022). Fiscal policy and the development of green transportation infrastructure: the case of China’s high-speed railways. Economic Change and Restructuring, 55(4), 2179–2213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-021-09381-1

World Travel & Tourism Council. (n.d.). https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact

Yan, Y. Q., Zhang, H. Q., & Ye, B. H. (2014). Assessing the impacts of the high-speed train on tourism demand in China. Tourism Economics, 20(1), 157–169. https://doi.org/10.5367/te.2013.0260

Yao, S., Yan, X., Lei, C. K., & Wang, F. (2022). High-speed railway and tourism development in China. Tourism Economics, 28(6), 1520–1544. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816621998520

Yao, S., Zhang, F., Wang, F., & Ou, J. (2019). High-speed rail and urban economic growth in China after the world financial crisis. China and World Economy, 27(2), 44–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/cwe.12274

Zhang, A., Liu, L., & Liu, G. (2020). High-speed rail, tourist mobility, and firm value. Economic Modelling, 90, 208–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2020.05.004

Zhang, F., Wang, F., Ou, J., & Yao, S. (2019). Role of high-speed rail on social fixed assets investments in China. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 17(3), 221–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/14765284.2019.1663697

Zhang, Y., & Xu, D. (2013). Service on the rise, agriculture and manufacturing in decline: The labor market effects of high-speed rail services in Spain. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 171, 103617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2023.103617

Zhou, B., & Li, N. Q. (2018). The impact of high-speed trains on regional tourism economies: Empirical Evidence from China. Tourism Economics, 24(2), 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816617749346

Zhou, B., Wen, Z., Ian, S., & Lee, S. (2020). The spatial heterogeneity and dynamics of tourism-flow spillover effect: The role of high-speed train in China. Tourism Economics, 28(2), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620958309