Multi-level Tourism Spatial Structure and Its Coupling with Transportation Accessibility in Wuhan

The hierarchical structure and functional types of urban tourist attractions are fundamental to shaping tourism spatial organization, while public transport accessibility determines service efficiency and spatial equity. This study investigates the coupling between tourism spatial patterns and public transport accessibility in Wuhan, China, focusing on Grade A and popular unrated attractions. Using a GIS-based framework integrating origin–destination (OD) cost matrix modeling and non-parametric statistical tests, we examine spatial distribution and accessibility differences from both rating and functional perspectives. Results show that: (1) Grade A attractions are largely located in suburban areas with low accessibility, whereas popular attractions cluster in central districts with superior transit, forming a “high-grade–low-accessibility, low-grade–high-accessibility” mismatch; (2) popular attractions leverage metro and bus networks to create multiple high-accessibility cores with concentrated and stable accessibility; (3) natural attractions exhibit the weakest accessibility due to dispersed locations and limited transport connectivity, in contrast to cultural and urban leisure attractions. These findings reveal a grade-oriented planning pattern that induces transport service imbalance. A transportation-adaptive strategy is recommended to enhance suburban high-grade accessibility and improve overall system performance. Policy implications include bridging suburban transit gaps, strengthening rail and transfer connectivity for central Grade A attractions, and developing function-specific transport strategies to promote coordinated evolution of urban tourism and transport systems.