Urbanization and the spatial coupling of tourism development and ancient buildings: evidence from China’s historical and cultural cities

With the rapid progression of urbanization, ancient buildings have become an increasingly essential asset in regional tourism development. Focusing on China’s historical and cultural cities, this study examines the spatial coupling relationship between ancient buildings and tourism in the context of urbanization. The research methodology integrates kernel density analysis to reveal the spatial distribution pattern of ancient buildings, a coupling coordination model to quantify the interaction between conservation and tourism, and multiple regression analysis to identify key factors driving the coupled evolution, such as urbanization, economic growth, and cultural resources. From 2006 to 2019, ancient buildings were primarily concentrated in the eastern region, moderately clustered in central areas, and scattered in the western region. The degree of coupling with domestic tourism increased steadily, while international tourism showed a U-shaped trend, first declining and then rising. To address these dynamics, this research proposes an integrated governance framework centered on spatial zoning guidance, cross-cultural communication enhancement, and cultural ecosystem regeneration, aiming to achieve the synergistic coexistence and sustainable transformation of cultural heritage conservation and tourism development.