Nonlinear Effects of the Digital Creative Industry on Tourism: Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta in China

The digital creative industry has fostered emerging tourism formats, such as performance tourism and live-streamed travel; however, academic research remains behind industry advances. This study draws on data from digital creative firms in the Yangtze River Delta and domestic and inbound Chinese tourism statistics from 2013 to 2022. Linear and nonlinear models were employed to examine the influence of industry on tourism and spatial heterogeneity. The digital creative industry has significantly increased tourist numbers and revenue, showing an inverted U-shaped relationship with domestic tourism and a U-shaped relationship with inbound tourism. Moreover, the effects vary significantly across the provincial and municipal levels. Dynamic regression analysis confirms the robustness of the results. Mediation analysis indicates that the digital creative industry facilitates tourism development by improving urban attractiveness. The study concludes with a discussion of its theoretical contributions and practical implications.