Sustainability Assessment of Geotourism Consumption Based on Energy–Water–Waste–Economic Nexus: Evidence from Zhangye Danxia National Geopark

The development of geotourism and the establishment of geoparks can generate new job opportunities, new economic activities, and additional sources of income, with great significance in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Tourists often consume more energy and water and generate more waste in order to seek a more comfortable state during their travels. This research took Zhangye Danxia National Geopark in the north slope of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in China as an example and combined field research with questionnaires to construct a non-radial model (SBM) based on energy-water-waste-economic nexus. From the perspective of consumption, this research focuses on the consumer characteristics of geotourism sustainability based on the energy–water–waste–economic nexus (GTS-EWWE) and the driving factors behind them under different degrees of consumption. The elderly, children, and high-income tourists can contribute more to the sustainability of geotourism. Stay duration in the geopark and energy consumption are the native driving factors behind the sustainability of geotourism. However, with the improvement of the tourism consumption level, the marginal effect of the negative influence of both factors is diminishing gradually. While tourism expenditure is a positive driving factor, the tourist’s travel mode and the consumer’s awareness of ecological–environmental actions will contribute more to the sustainability of geotourism. New energy technologies to promote the green development of geoparks is significant. This research aims to provide a reference for the sustainability assessment of geoheritage sights and to provide evidence for the appropriate management policy with respect to their sustainable development.