Comparative Analysis of the Spatial-Temporal Distribution and Influencing Factors of the Tourism Industry in Three Cities along Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in China

The temporal-spatial pattern of linear cultural heritage in the context of the tourism industry is closely linked to heritage management. Using the 1800 km long Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal as an example, this study compared the dynamic evolution of tourism businesses in Beijing, Liaocheng, and Yangzhou at three time points (2010, 2015, and 2019) via nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, and the standard deviational ellipse. Next, a Geo-detector was used to examine the influencing factors. The results reveal significant growth regardless of the quantity or agglomeration degree from 2010 to 2019, and the direction of industrial expansion is consistent with the flow direction of the canal. Moreover, the explanatory powers of factors related to socioeconomic development and canal resources are obviously stronger than those of the natural environment. The findings of this study offer theoretical constructs and policy recommendations for the sustainable development of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and other linear cultural heritage sites.