Ecotourism suitability at county scale in China: Spatial pattern, obstacle factors, and driving factors

• Proposed an evaluation framework of counties ecotourism suitability (ETS). • An improved evaluation indicator system of ETS was proposed. • A theoretical analysis framework for the influencing mechanism of ETS was constructed. • The obstacle degree model and the optimal parameter GeoDetector model were adopted to diagnose the internal obstacle factors and external driving factors of ETS in China respectively. • The influencing mechanism of ETS in China was systematically analyzed. The comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of county-level ecotourism and the analysis of influencing factors can provide detailed guidance for the planning and development of ecotourism, which is of great significance for promoting the high-quality and sustainable development of ecotourism. However, few studies have focused on in-depth analyses of the influencing factors and its mechanisms of the county ecotourism suitability in China, which severely restricts the comprehensive development and sustainable management of county-level ecotourism in China. Based on this, this study conducts a comprehensive assessment of the county ecotourism suitability level in China and systematically explains the law of its spatial distribution. Secondly, the obstacle degree model and the optimal parameter geographic detector model were adopted to diagnose the internal obstacle factors and external driving factors of the county ecotourism suitability respectively. Finally, based on the theoretical analysis framework and the quantitative analysis results, the influencing mechanism of the county ecotourism suitability in China was systematically analyzed. The results show that the spatial distribution of ecotourism suitability of counties in China is extremely unbalanced, with large differences between east and west and north and south. The unsuitable areas and the less suitable areas were mainly concentrated in the plateau areas and arid areas in Western China. Moderately suitable areas and highly suitable areas were mainly concentrated in the mountainous areas of north and central China, the transitional zone of mountain plain, the mountainous areas of southwest China and the coastal areas of southeast China. There are obvious high-value and low-value agglomeration areas in the local space, and it shows an obvious “core-edge” structure. The low-value heterogeneous areas have emerged in the peripheral regions of important ecological source areas. In terms of internal obstacle factors, factors such as ecotourism resources, market development potential, ecological environment quality and service facilities conditions are the main obstacles to ecotourism suitability in northwest China. The main obstacle factors of hilly county, mountain county and plateau county are the same, while the main obstacle factors and their order of plain county are different from the first three. In terms of external driving factors, economic urbanization, population urbanization, land urbanization, the level of scientific and technological innovation, the level of low-carbon economic development, and regional environmental policy factors all have significant impacts on the county ecotourism suitability in China. However, the main driving factors in different regions and counties with different terrains show differences. The interaction intensity of among the main driving factors of ecotourism suitability in different river basin areas and counties with different terrains shows differences.