Purpose Clarifying the relationship of coupling coordination and dynamic interactions between the intensity of tourism development (TDI) and the resilience of ecosystems (ECR) holds substantial importance for advancing the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in areas with ecological functions. Design/methodology/approach Taking Sichuan Province, a key ecological function area in China, as the research object, the coupling framework was constructed based on the coupling theory of human–earth relationship. The coupling coordination degree model was adopted to investigate the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the coupling coordination between the two from 2006 to 2022. Finally, the interaction effect was verified in combination with the panel vector autoregressive model. Findings (1) The differences in coupling coordination within the study area have been continuously decreasing, and the coupling coordination degrees of the two systems have evolved from a unipolar to a multipolar differentiation pattern. (2) It has shifted from the initial moderate imbalance to a well-coordinated pattern of “spreading from Chengdu as the center to the surrounding areas.” (3) Most cities have shifted from the disordered decline type to the barely coordinated type and the coordinated development type. (4) TDI and ECR have a significant promoting effect on themselves, while the promoting effect between TDI and ECR is relatively weak. Originality/value (1) It investigates the empirical coupling and coordination relationship between TDI and ECR, thereby providing fresh perspectives for further research in these areas. (2) By revealing their spatio-temporal evolutionary patterns and interactive dynamics, corresponding suggestions are put forward, with the expectation of providing useful references for promoting tourism development in ecological function areas and scientifically implementing ecological protection strategies.
Chang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.