The Spatial Differences and Influencing Factors of Tourism Resources in Ningxia, China

The analysis of the spatial distribution of tourism resources and the identification of its influencing factors are crucial for supporting the sustainable development of regional tourism. This study established a comprehensive database of tourism resources in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Ningxia) through a combination of literature review and field research. It examined the quantitative, qualitative, and categorical characteristics of tourism resources in Ningxia, and determined the spatial patterns based on kernel density and spatial association analysis. This study also comprehensively evaluated the societal, economic, and environmental factors influencing the spatial distribution of tourism resources in the entire region by employing the geographical detector model to quantify the influence of each factor. The following results were obtained. (1) There were 29218 individual tourism resources in Ningxia, comprising eight main types, 23 subtypes, and 105 fundamental types, and they exhibit a hierarchical pyramidal structure. (2) The tourism resources in Ningxia displayed characteristics of “widespread regional dispersion and limited regional agglomeration”. The spatial distribution of tourism resources was highly imbalanced, and most types of tourism resources exhibit strong positive spatial correlation. (3) The altitude, annual precipitation, population density, distance from urban centers, urbanization rate, and per capita GDP were identified as significant factors influencing the spatial distribution of tourism resources in Ningxia. Based on the results, we recommend that the government should formulate tourism development policies in Ningxia based on local conditions to effectively address the spatial imbalances, enhance the sustainability of tourism development, and continue to promote high-quality tourism development in Ningxia.