Evolution and optimization of China's urban tourism spatial structure: A high speed rail perspective

High-speed rail (HSR) networks in China profoundly altered China's urban tourism spatial patterns. This paper examines the characteristics and evolution of spatial patterns of the urban hinterland before and after HSR network. Economic relation model and spatial analysis in ArcGIS were utilized on 338 national prefecture-level administrative units. The results show: (1) HSR strengthens tourism-based economic relationships between cities, and demonstrates a “corridor” effect of the spatial distribution of the change rates of tourism external economic relationships; (2) Center cities with larger tourism comprehensive scale are enhanced with expanding trans-province hinterland; the hinterland of central cities are enlarged, of which spatial linkages between the hinterlands are increased; (3) the competition and difference for the hinterland of central cities are intensified. Based on these, this paper proposes a tourism spatial structure with 19 urban agglomerations, 6 1st-class and 21 2nd -class tourist economic zones, and strategies for optimizing China's tourist space.