Spatial Characteristics and Driving Mechanisms of Carbon Neutrality Progress in Tourism Attractions in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Based on Remote Sensing Methods

This research employs multi-source data including big data, remote sensing raster data, and statistical vector data. Through the superposition of tourism activity points of interest with remotely sensed inversion raster data like human carbon emissions, net primary productivity, and kilometer-grid GDP, the carbon emissions, carbon sinks, and economic output of tourism attractions are obtained. Data envelopment analysis and econometric models are utilized to assess the “carbon emissions–carbon sinks–economic output” coupling efficiency relationship and driving mechanism under the framework of the tourism carbon neutrality process. This research takes Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region, which has had a severe response to global climate change and is particularly deficient in statistical and monitoring data, as an example. It is found that in Gannan Prefecture, which is at the primary stage of tourism development, with a high degree of dependence on the location and regional economic development level, the challenge of decoupling carbon emissions from the economy is significant. The carbon neutrality process in natural tourism attractions is marginally superior to that in cultural tourism attractions. However, even among natural tourism attractions, the number of spots achieving high carbon sink efficiency is extremely limited. There remains considerable scope for achieving carbon neutrality process through carbon sinks in the future. The location and vegetation conditions can exert a direct and positive influence on the improvement of carbon efficiency in tourist destinations. Establishing natural tourism attractions near cities is more conducive to facilitating carbon neutrality. This research highlights the advantages of remote sensing methods in specific sectors such as tourism where quality monitoring facilities and methods are lacking and provides a reference for evaluating the tourism carbon neutrality process and managing environmental sustainability on tourism attractions in similar regions and specific sectors worldwide.