Research on the Coupling Coordination Degree of China’s Commercial Economy and Tourism Economy and Its Obstacle Degree Factors

This study investigates the coupling coordination between China’s tourism and commercial economies using 2012–2021 provincial panel data, applying entropy method, coupling coordination modeling, and obstacle diagnosis. Results indicate: (1) Both sectors show steady growth, with commercial economy development consistently stronger; (2) Coupling coordination exhibits an improving yet still low level, displaying significant regional disparities (eastern > central > western > northeastern regions); (3) The national relationship achieves “basic coordination,” with provinces categorized into six distinct types; (4) Tourism benefits represent the primary systemic constraint, while inbound tourist numbers, express business volume, and environmental factors rank as top indicator-level obstacles. The findings suggest that enhancing investment, industrial scale, business environments, and economic benefits could foster synergistic development between these two economic systems.