Research on the Coupling and Coordinated Development of the Tourism Industry and Regional Economy in the Economic Circle of the Sichuan–Chongqing Region in Southwest China

Abstract

The construction of the Sichuan–Chongqing double-city economic circle represents a critical measure for high-quality development in China. The coordinated development of industry and economy is conducive to high-quality regional economic growth and the construction of a high-standard market system. This study selects 19 data indexes of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing region from 2000 to 2020 and analyzes the coupling coordination degree of them through a coupling coordination model. Such being the case, the gray correlation analysis method is used to explore the key factors affecting the coupling difference. It is found that the comprehensive development index of the tourism industry system and regional economic system of the Sichuan–Chongqing region witnesses a steady growth, but the overall performance of the regional economic system lags behind that of the tourism industry system. From the perspective of coupling coordination degree, the coupling coordination between the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing region is increasingly strengthened, with the whole system being in the stage of running-in and high-level coupling. It has achieved the leap from unbalanced development to well-coordinated development. From the perspective of gray correlation analysis, the per capita consumption level of residents and regional GDP are the key factors affecting the coupling and coordination differences of the Sichuan–Chongqing circle.

1. Introduction

In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s economy, people’s material lives have been greatly improved. In this context, people’s demands for tourism is increasing, so the tourism industry is developing rapidly. At the same time, China has paid increasing attention to tourism and has introduced a number of policies and measures to encourage the development of tourism. In 2009, the State Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Tourism, which positioned tourism as a strategic pillar industry of China’s economic development. In 2018, the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of Global Tourism was issued, emphasizing the need to vigorously develop tourism, give full play to the leading role of tourism, and make tourism an important support for national economic development. The vigorous development of China’s rural tourism industry is largely attributed to the estimation policy of the Chinese government and the emphasis on rural revitalization [1]. In terms of the construction of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the government has successively issued some policies to support its development. In 2011, the Party and the Central Committee put forward an important strategy for the coordinated development of Chengdu and Chongqing. In 2020, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council officially issued the Outline for the Construction of Chengdu–Chongqing Double-City Economic Circle, pointing out that Chengdu–Chongqing double-city economic circle (hereinafter referred to as Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle) is an important measure for high-quality national economic growth, marking that the coordinated and integrated development of Sichuan and Chongqing has been upgraded to a national strategy. This not only provides a new historical opportunity for the economic and industrial development of the Sichuan–Chongqing region but also becomes the focus of scholars’ research.

In the process of exploring the relationship between the tourism industry and the regional economy, academia mainly includes three types of research: research on the impact of the tourism industry on the regional economy, research on the impact of the regional economy on the tourism industry, and research on the relationship between the regional economy and tourism industry. First of all, in the research on the impact of the tourism industry on the regional economy, Raza and other scholars collected the monthly data from January 1996 to March 2015 in the United States and made full use of wavelet transform analysis tools to study the impact of the tourism industry on economic growth. The research results show that the tourism industry has a positive effect on economic growth and should pay attention to the cultivation of tourism demand [2]. Albaladejo conducted an empirical analysis of tourism development and economic growth in Spain from 1970 to 2010 and verified that tourism has a positive effect on Spain’s economic growth using the Granger causality test, vector error correction model, and other methods [3]. Lee analyzed the positive impact of Seoul’s tourism on the city using an interregional input–output model and found that Seoul is expected to create high incomes and employment opportunities within the city and will make a significant contribution to tax revenue [4]. Paramati and others verified that the sustainable development of tourism effectively improves economic growth in both developed and developing economies by comparing the dynamic relationship between tourism, economic growth, and carbon dioxide emissions in developed and developing economies [5]. However, Mtapuri and others believe that community tourism (CBT) can create economic and social value for enterprises and residents. Tourism can drive regional economic growth, improve the competitiveness of the destination, protect the environment and improve its carrying capacity, and achieve sustainable development of both the tourism industry and economy [6]. Li summarized existing studies and found that the tourism industry plays a positive role in promoting economic growth and poverty reduction, with labor, capital, technology, environment, expenditure, income, and a number of external economic factors being key determinants of tourism efficiency and productivity [7]. Jarvis believed that tourism was crucial to the economic development of many regions. The study verifies that the economy, society, and environment have a positive impact on tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty [8]. In addition, the increase in construction works, the decrease in water clarity, and tourists’ perception of safety would also directly affect tourists’ willingness to return. Future research should assess the overall regional development factors, including agriculture, construction, and other related industries.

Secondly, in the research on the impact of the regional economy on the development of the tourism industry, more research supports that the regional economy can promote the development of the tourism industry. Corrie et al. explored the relationship between tourism expenditure and the factors related to GDP and tourism demand through Granger causality analysis. The research shows that there is a highly causal relationship between tourism and economic growth, and there is a possibility that the tourism industry will lead to economic growth. In addition, tourists’ expenditure on catering, accommodation, transportation, entertainment, and shopping is a key factor in the development of tourism [9]. By examining the relationship between Vietnam’s tourism income and gross domestic product (GDP) from 1992 to 2011, Trang et al. showed that the government should implement corresponding economic policies to stimulate rapid economic growth through tourism [10]. In the research on the impact of the digital economy on the development of the tourism industry, based on the U.K. research data from 2011 to 2019, Tang verified that the level of the digital economy in various countries or regions has played a positive role in driving the U.K. tourism industry and promoting the sustainable development of the tourism industry by improving the quality of the system, strengthening the market control ability, and increasing trade freedom [11]. In addition, according to the research data of Xinjiang, China, from 2008 to 2018, Zhao and other scholars found that the digital economy has become an important driving force for the high-quality development of Xinjiang’s tourism industry by stimulating the transformation and upgrading of the tourism structure [12]. Chen et al. believed that the economy was an important driving factor for realizing urban modernization. Rural tourism was transformed from an industry self-operated by farmers to a large-scale operation run by enterprises through the investment of enterprise funds, and the rural tourism industry was transformed, upgraded, and developed rapidly [13]. Based on the development of coastal tourism in China’s coastal cities, Ji and Wang verified that economy, transportation, science and technology, and services are the direct driving factors for the development of the coastal tourism industry [14].

Finally, in the research on the relationship between the regional economy and the tourism industry, the research focuses on the causal relationship between the two, but different scholars present different opinions and views based on different levels. Antonakakis and others closely followed the dynamics of tourism and economic performance in 113 countries from 1995 to 2014. Research shows that in developing countries or countries and regions with less specialization in tourism, the economy becomes an important factor in promoting the development of the tourism industry, and there is a one-way development. On the contrary, in developed countries and regions, there is a two-way promotion relationship between tourism industry development and regional economic growth [15]. Through an in-depth research on the causal relationship between tourism and economic growth in Malaysia from 1974 to 2013, Tang et al. found that the tourism industry is relatively more important than the three non-tourism industry exports (electrical and electronic, palm oil, and rubber), particularly in long-term economic growth [16]. Therefore, they also verified Antonakakis’ point of view. Lu et al. took Qingyang City, Gansu Province, as an example to test the relationship between tourism development and the economy and environment. The research shows that tourism development and regional economic growth are not mutually reinforcing. On the contrary, there is a one-way relationship between the two systems [17]. Based on the research on the dynamic relationship between human development, economic growth, and tourism in Ecuador, Rivera found that the regional economy drives the development of the tourism industry in a one-way direction, that is, the development of the tourism industry is the result of economic growth [18]. Xie and Tveteras assessed that the economic recession (falling crude oil price, inflation, deflation, etc.) caused by non-tourism has a positive or negative impact on the competitiveness of tourism destinations [19]. It can be seen that the causal relationship between tourism and economic growth has not been unanimously recognized by the academic community, and it still needs to be further explored.

The Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has become an important growth pole for regional development in China and has gradually become a research hotspot in academia. The existing research mainly focuses on spatial patterns, economic benefits, industrial coordination, cooperation mechanisms, etc. In terms of research on the coordinated development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, scholars systematically sorted out the development strategy of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle and differentiated the theoretical logic, structural characteristics, and evolution path of regional coordinated development [20], and the realization path and countermeasures of the regional economy and digital industrialization development [21]. Discussion on the sustainable development of the ecological environment of urban agglomeration in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle [22] and the coordinated construction and development evaluation of ecological civilization construction [23], as well as how to promote high-quality economic development through the development of industrial clusters [24], explores the utilization, development motivation, and constraints of urbanization resources [25]. In the tourism research of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the focus is on the tourism pattern, economic benefits, industrial cooperation, etc. of urban agglomeration. Weng analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of tourist attractions within the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle and explored the key factors affecting the distribution of tourist attractions by using the geographical detector model. The study found that in addition to the traffic, water system, and terrain factors, the socio-economic level is the main factor affecting the development of the economic circle [26]. In the tourism research of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the focus is on the tourism pattern, economic benefits, industrial cooperation, etc. of urban agglomeration: Wei et al. analyzed the spatial pattern of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle based on tourism income and output efficiency [27]; Liu et al. explored the trend and characteristics of tourism flow in the Sichuan–Chongqing urban agglomeration from the perspective of time and space distance [28]; and Zhang and Du built an evaluation system of urban tourism experience quality based on landscape preference and experience identification [29]. Sun and others believed that the coupling and coordination level of tourism and new urbanization development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle was relatively low as a whole, and Chengdu and Chongqing were the two core cities. The “two-wheel drive” development model had achieved initial results, but there is still abundant room for improvement [30]. Pen and Qin believed that cross-regional cultural resources should be fully developed and utilized to promote the transformation of cultural resources into economic values and make good use of the social functions and cultural values of the culture to enhance regional comprehensive strength [31].

In summary, there are rich research results on the relationship between the tourism industry and regional economic growth, as well as the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. Among them, the research on the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle focuses on regional development and regional economy or tends to study the impact of the tourism industry on economic growth, while the relationship between the tourism industry and regional economic growth in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is less studied. The study area is limited to core cities, including Chengdu and Chongqing, and few studies are conducted on Sichuan–Chongqing urban agglomeration. The research method is biased toward qualitative description and lacks quantitative analysis. The depth and breadth of research seriously lags behind the tourism industry and regional economic development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. With the deepening of the integration of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, strengthening the coordinated development of the tourism industry and regional economy, fully mobilizing the positive mutual-promotion relationship between the tourism industry and regional economy, and deeply exploring the theoretical logic and influencing factors of industrial and economic development, the Sichuan-Chongqing economic circle needs to build an important growth pole driving high-quality development of the country, an international consumer destination with Bashu characteristics, and a world-class leisure tourism resort, and provide theoretical guidance for regional coordinated development in the future. On this basis, this paper starts from the actual development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, deeply analyzes the coupling mechanism of the tourism industry and regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, selects 19 indicator systems of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Chengdu (Sichuan) and Chongqing region from 2000 to 2020, uses the coupling coordination model to analyze the coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, and analyzes the main factors that affect the coupling coordination between systems through gray correlation analysis. It is expected to expand the research field and provide a reference for promoting the coordinated development of industry and economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle.

2. An Overview of Coupling Coordinated Development Mechanism and Research Area

2.1. Analysis of Coupling Coordination Mechanism

According to the synergy theory, coupling coordination reflects the degree of interaction between systems in the development process, revealing the changing trend from disorder to order, from uncoordinated to coordinated development [31,32,33,34]. The tourism industry has strong comprehensiveness and relevance. Through industrial resource integration and environmental optimization, it can effectively promote regional coordinated development and form a significant regional economic and social comprehensive effect. Urban development and regional economy are important driving forces for the development of the tourism industry [35,36], and the level of urban economic development depends on the development of infrastructure, transportation systems, and service industries. Therefore, regional economic development has a positive effect on tourism, and the transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry will also positively promote regional economic development. Therefore, it can be seen that there is an internal logic of coupling and coordinated development between the tourism industry and regional economy. In particular, the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle proposes “dual-core leadership and regional linkage”, reform and opening-up driven by innovation, ecological priority and green development, sharing and inclusiveness, and the improvement of people’s livelihoods. The five development principles of overall coordination, cooperation, and co-construction explain the close relationship between the tourism industry and regional economic development strategy and also point out the direction of the tourism industry and regional economic development. According to this, this paper constructs the coupling mechanism of the tourism industry and the regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, as shown in Figure 1.

As an important part of the modern service industry, the tourism industry has become the driving force and breakthrough point of regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. First of all, from the perspective of the level of economic development, the tourism industry is comprehensive, has a strong correlation, ‘tourism+’ industry linkage advantages related to the coordinated development of industries, and with the transformation and development of the tourism industry, the regional industrial structure can be optimized and upgraded, boosting the overall strength of the regional economy [37]. Secondly, from the perspective of environmental resources, rich tourism resources are the foundation of tourism survival, and a good ecological environment is the foundation of tourism development. The development of the tourism industry promotes people’s protection and construction of the ecological environment, thus creating a good tourism environment for tourists and promoting the green and sustainable development of the regional economy [38]. Finally, from the perspective of social development, the tourism industry is the integration and upgrading of all resource elements in the region, which has obvious effects in absorbing employment, improving public facilities, and promoting innovation. The tourism industry is a labor-intensive industry, which creates a large number of employment opportunities for society and has a strong ability to absorb employment [39]. Under the development model of the tourism industry, all residents of the region are participants and beneficiaries. Urban public facilities and tourist attractions can meet the leisure needs of residents and the tourism needs of tourists and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results [40]. Visitors’ stay will inject multicultural and innovative vitality, help to increase the understanding between destinations and tourist sources, boost the innovation and upgrading of tourism services and products, improve regional awareness, enhance regional competitiveness, and promote regional economic development [41].

Regional coordinated development includes economic, social, and environmental systems [42,43,44,45] providing support for the tourism industry and regional economic development. First of all, from the perspective of the regional economic development level, a good regional economy can provide sufficient financial guarantee for the development of the tourism industry [46]. The tourism industry involves related industries such as food, housing, transportation, tourism, shopping, and entertainment. It has the characteristics of large investment: long cycle, slow efficiency, and rapid renewal. The scope of development has expanded from tourist attractions to tourist areas, and sufficient financial support is needed for the construction of regional infrastructure and tourism service facilities [47]. In addition, a high-quality regional economic environment can not only improve the income and consumption level of residents but also significantly enhance the overall competitiveness of the region. Secondly, from the perspective of environmental resources, the comprehensive strength of the regional economy will be effectively improved and more funds will be invested in ecological environment protection and construction to promote green consumption and enhance the sustainable development of the tourism industry [48]. Finally, from the perspective of social development, the improvement of the regional economy creates a good economic environment for the development of the tourism industry. The increase in residents’ income and the strong willingness to consume can stimulate demand, stimulate consumption, and realize the transformation of tourism economic benefits [49].

2.2. Overview of the Study Area

The Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is located at the crossroads of the Belt and Road and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is the center of the Bashu region and the hinterland of the Bashu culture. Moreover, it is the most densely populated, industrially concentrated, resource-intensive, convenient, and economically developed region in the west of China. It has become a city cluster on which the nation focuses and builds. In accordance with the Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration Development Plan, the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle covers 15 prefecture-level cities in Sichuan Province and 29 districts in Chongqing, approximately 180,500 square kilometers in size. According to the ‘Economic Development Report of Sichuan–Chongqing Twin-city Economic Circle’ issued by the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics and Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Statistics, the permanent resident population of the Sichuan–Chongqing urban agglomeration will surpass 100 million by 2021, including 70.9983 million urban residents and 44.846 million rural residents. The total economic output of the Sichuan–Chongqing region’s two-city economic circle accounts for 6.5% of the country’s economic output and 30.8% of the western region’s. In addition, the regional GDP exceeds CNY 73,919.2 billion, an increase of 8.5% over 2020. There are abundant tourism resources and significant tourism economic benefits. There are 1596 travel agencies, 1086 A-level tourist attractions, 519 star-rated hotels, approximately 29.82 million people employed in the tertiary industry, more than 515.88 million tourists, and a total tourism income of CNY 15.662 million, accounting for 23.62% of the country’s total tourism revenue, indicating a steady development trend of improving quality.

3. Research Design

3.1. Construction of Index System

Based on the coupling mechanism of the tourism industry and regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, and referring to the existing research results [50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59], this paper integrates the characteristics of the tourism industry and the regional economic development system; follows the principles of scientificity, representativeness, and stability; reflects the basic and pertinent selection of evaluation indicators; and establishes the evaluation index system of coupling and coordinated development of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle for the first time, which lays a theoretical foundation for the development and evaluation of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. The evaluation index system includes 9 first-level indicators and 19 s-level indicators, as shown in

Table 1. Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle tourism industry and regional economic coupling coordinated development evaluation index system and weight.

System	First-Level Indicator	Secondary Indicators	Unit	Weight
Tourism Industry	Industrial advantages	Total tourism revenue as a share of GDP	%	0.048
	Industrial scale	Number of inbound tourists	Ten thousand person times	0.134
		Number of domestic tourists	Ten thousand person times	0.141
	Tourism revenue	Foreign exchange earnings from tourism	USD Ten thousand	0.182
		Domestic tourism revenue	CNY Billion	0.251
	Travel Resources	Number of star hotels	Individual	0.073
		Number of travel agencies	Individual	0.052
	Employment absorption	Number of employees in the tertiary industry	Individual	0.041
	Resident participation	Per capita consumption level	CNY	0.078
Regional Economy	Economic level	Regional GDP	CNY Billion	0.169
		Regional fiscal revenue	CNY Billion	0.139
		Regional fiscal expenditure	CNY Billion	0.118
		GDP per capita	CNY	0.125
		Regional GDP Growth Rate	%	0.063
		The tertiary industry’s share of GDP	%	0.108
	Environmental Resources	Passenger traffic	Million people	0.062
		Postal service volume	CNY Million	0.045
	Social development	Population	Million people	0.087
		Per capita disposable income	CNY	0.084

.

3.2. Data Source and Processing

3.2.1. Data Source

The Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle includes Sichuan and Chongqing. Since the data indicators of Sichuan and Chongqing are incomplete, the provincial data of Sichuan and Chongqing are used for research. The data required for this article are from the 2000–2020 China Statistical Yearbook, China Tourism Statistical Yearbook, Sichuan Statistical Yearbook, and Chongqing Statistical Yearbook, as well as local statistical bulletins. Missing data are filled by the linear fitting method.

3.2.2. The Standardization of Data Processing

• Standardized processing and entropy calculation

Due to the dimension of index data varying greatly, the original data are standardized to make the data more comparable by min-max to obtain a standardized matrix B_21×29. Calculating the entropy value again, the specific function model is:

$$H_t=-\frac{1}{ln21}{\displaystyle \sum }_{t=1}^{21}{B}_t{\displaystyle \sum }_{t=1}^{21}{B}_{t}ln{B}_t\sum _{t=1}^{21}{B}_t$$

(1)

In Equation (1), B_t represents the year, represents the index vector of the year t, and H_t represents the entropy value.

• Determination of index weight

In this paper, the entropy method is used to calculate the index weight, and the index weight is fine-tuned according to the relevant experts’ suggestions to reduce the subjective judgment, avoid the overlapping of multi-index variable information, and enhance the differentiation of each index. The specific function model is:

$$W_t=\frac{1-\left(H_t\right)}{{\sum }_{t=1}^{21}1-H_t}$$

(2)

In Equation (2), W_t represents weight and H_t represents the entropy value.

• Comprehensive evaluation index

This paper utilizes the weighted method to calculate the comprehensive development level of the industry. The specific function model is:

$$U_k={\displaystyle \sum }_{t=1}^{19}{W}_t{B}_t$$

(3)

In Equation (3), U_k represents the comprehensive evaluation index. When k = 1, U₁ represents the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry. When K = 2, U₂ represents the comprehensive development level of the regional economy.

• Coupled evaluation model

In order to better measure the coupling degree between the tourism industry and regional economic development, a measurement model of the coupling degree between the tourism industry and regional economic development was constructed. The specific function model is:

$$C=\sqrt{\frac{U_1{U}_2}{{(U_1+U_2)}^2}}$$

(4)

In Formula (4), C represents the coupling degree between the tourism industry and regional economic development and the value interval [0, 1]. When C = 0, the coupling degree is low, and when C = 1, the coupling degree is high.

• The coupling harmonious degree model

To comprehensively analyze the coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry and regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, a coupling coordination evaluation model was constructed to test the coupling coordination degree of the two systems. The specific function model is:

$$D=\sqrt{TC},T=\alpha U_1+\beta U_2$$

(5)

In Equation (5), D represents the coupling coordination degree, T represents the comprehensive evaluation value of the tourism industry and regional economic development, and C represents the coupling degree. For the undetermined coefficient α and β, considering that the tourism industry in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is of equal importance to the regional economic development, and combining the suggestions of relevant experts, the weight coefficient was determined α = β = 0.5. The value range of the coupling coordination degree D is [0, 1]. When D = 0, it is extremely poorly adjusted, and when D = 1, the coordination degree reaches the optimal level. The evaluation criteria for the coupling coordination level are shown in

Table 2. Coupling coordination level evaluation criteria.

Coupling Interval	Coupling Level	Coordination Interval	Coordination Level
[0, 0.3)	Low-level coupling	[0, 0.1)	Extremely out of balance
		[0.1, 0.2)	Severely disordered
[0.3, 0.5)	Antagonism	[0.2, 0.3)	Moderately disordered
		[0.3, 0.4)	Mild disorder
		[0.4, 0.5)	On the verge of dysregulation
[0.5, 0.8)	Run-in	[0.5, 0.6)	Barely coordinated
		[0.6, 0.7)	Primary coordination
		[0.7, 0.8)	Intermediate Coordinator
[0.8, 1.0)	High-level coupling	[0.8, 0.9)	Well coordinated
		[0.9, 1.0)	Quality coordination

.

• Gray correlation degree model

Gray correlation analysis is a means to measure the closeness between indicators by correlation degree. Due to the phased and dynamic characteristics in the coupling process of the tourism industry and regional economic development, this paper uses the gray correlation analysis method to calculate the correlation degree between the tourism industry and the regional economic system. Related coefficient calculation formula:

$${R_{ij}}^{\left(t\right)}=\frac{\begin{array}{c}min\\ i\end{array}\begin{array}{c}min\\ j\end{array}\left|{E_i}^{\left(t\right)}-{F_j}^{\left(t\right)}\right|\times \rho \left|{E_i}^{\left(t\right)}-F_j{}^{\left(t\right)}\right|}{\left|{E_i}^{\left(t\right)}-{F_j}^{\left(t\right)}\right|+\rho ma{x}_{i}ma{x}_j\left|{E_i}^{\left(t\right)}-{F_j}^{\left(t\right)}\right|}$$

(6)

In Formula (6), R_ij^(t) represents the correlation coefficient between the i tourism industry index and the j regional economic index in t year during the study period, E_i^(t) represents the standardized value of the i index in t year of the tourism industry subsystem, and F_j^(t) represents the standardized value of the j index in t year of the regional economic system. ρ Represents the resolution, generally 0.5. Related calculation formula:

$$V_{ij}=\frac{1}{n}{{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i,j=1}^n{R_{ij}}^{\left(t\right)}$$

(7)

In Equation (7), n represents the number of samples, and V_ij represents the correlation degree between the tourism industry system and the regional economic system. The greater the correlation, the greater the correlation between the tourism industry index and the regional economic index, and vice versa.

4. Results and Analysis

4.1. Analysis of Comprehensive Development Level

In accordance with Figure 2 the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry system and regional economic system in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle indicates a steady upward trend, with an average growth rate of 1.8% and 2.2%. After 2003, the comprehensive development level of the regional economic system lags behind that of the tourism industry system, whereas in 2020, the regional economy surpasses the tourism industry system’s comprehensive development level. From the time dimension, in 2000, the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry system in Sichuan and Chongqing is the lowest, hardly 0.01, and the comprehensive development level of the economic system is also extremely low, only 0.02. According to the ‘Sichuan Statistical Yearbook’ and ‘Chongqing Statistical Yearbook’ published in 2000, the social development process in Sichuan and Chongqing, which is still in its infancy, is relatively slow, the economic level is low, and the regional GDP is approximately CNY 6274. The disposable income of residents is low, and the gap between urban and rural areas is large. Furthermore, the per capita disposable income of urban residents is CNY 6176, and the per capita net income of rural residents is CNY 1892. Tourism has not yet reached its full potential: the Sichuan and Chongqing area has 120 star hotels and 574 travel agencies, with about 200,041 passengers. Additionally, in reaction to SARS, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters, Sichuan and Chongqing’s economic and tourism development cannot be prompt. In 2004, the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry system and regional economic system in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle gradually increased slowly, and the overall performance was that the regional economic system lagged behind the development of the tourism industry system. According to the statistics of ‘The Sichuan Statistical Yearbook’ and ‘The Chongqing Statistical Yearbook’, in 2004, the total tourism revenue of Sichuan and Chongqing accounted for 8.6% and 8.49% of China’s gross domestic product, respectively. In 2019, the distinction between the systems was the largest, and the comprehensive evaluation index reached 0.96. Conforming to the statistical data of ‘The Sichuan Statistical Yearbook’ and Chongqing Statistical Yearbook’, the total tourism income of Sichuan Province and Chongqing in 2019 accounted for 24.71% and 24.31% of GDP, respectively, reaching the highest level in the development of the tourism industry, which had become an essential industry to promote economic growth. This is strongly related to the active implementation of rural revitalization, global tourism, and “tourism+”, as well as other innovative measures in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, and the three industries in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle having a solid foundation and abundant tourism resources, laying the groundwork for the growth of the tourism industry. The inter-system distinctions are particularly prominent in 2020. Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, the national government has implemented a closed policy to protect the health of the public, and industry and the economy have stagnated; accordingly, the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle have sustained significant damage. In 2020, the total tourism revenue of Sichuan Province and Chongqing City accounted for 14.7% and 26.87% of GDP, respectively, and the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry fell precipitously, from 0.96 in 2019 to 0.39 in 2020, while the comprehensive development level of the regional economy, on the contrary, rose from 0.44 in 2019 to 0.49 in 2020; thus, the overall inter-system presentation of the comprehensive development of the tourism industry level lags behind the level of regional economic comprehensive development. From the data between 2000 and 2020, it can be predicted that although the tourism industry and regional economy are greatly affected by COVID-19, the relatively high level of economic and social development in Sichuan and Chongqing, and the strong leisure life atmosphere in Sichuan and Chongqing, makes tourism consumption an everyday casual affair. Therefore, various forms of tourism consumption demand in Sichuan and Chongqing are being activated, the potential of tourism consumption is being released, and the regional economy will also improve immediately.

4.2. Coupling Coordination Analysis

It can be seen from

Table 3. Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle tourism industry and regional economic coupling coordination degree value and type.

Year	Coupling Degree	Coupling Level	Coordination Degree	Coordination Level
2000	0.36	Antagonism	0.15	Severely disordered
2001	0.52	Run-in	0.20	Moderately disordered
2002	0.62	Run-in	0.25	Moderately disordered
2003	0.60	Run-in	0.26	Moderately disordered
2004	0.73	Run-in	0.31	Mild disorder
2005	0.75	Run-in	0.37	Mild disorder
2006	0.70	Run-in	0.40	On the verge of dysregulation
2007	0.75	Run-in	0.44	On the verge of dysregulation
2008	0.82	High-level coupling	0.45	On the verge of dysregulation
2009	0.80	High-level coupling	0.51	Barely coordinated
2010	0.72	Run-in	0.51	Barely coordinated
2011	0.84	High-level coupling	0.58	Barely coordinated
2012	0.87	High-level coupling	0.64	Primary coordination
2013	0.87	High-level coupling	0.64	Primary coordination
2014	0.86	High-level coupling	0.66	Primary coordination
2015	0.92	high-level coupling	0.73	Intermediate Coordinator
2016	0.94	High-level coupling	0.78	Intermediate Coordinator
2017	0.91	High-level coupling	0.79	Intermediate Coordinator
2018	0.92	High-level coupling	0.84	Well coordinated
2019	0.79	Run-in	0.81	Well coordinated
2020	0.53	Run-in	0.60	Barely coordinated

and Figure 3 that the coupling and coordination index of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle demonstrates a stable upward trend, and the whole is in the stage of running-in and high-level coupling, indicating that the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle are in a good coordination stage of mutual exploration and interaction. In order to deeply explore the development characteristics of the coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry and the regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the research is divided into two stages: The first stage is the running-in stage (2000–2010). At this stage, a serious imbalance between the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is barely coordinated; the degree of coupling coordination was low, and the gap between the systems was large. Tourism-based tourism activities, an extensive regional economic development model, and low-level infrastructure and tourism service facilities make the mutual promotion between the tourism industry system and the regional economic system not obvious. However, with the rapid development of industry and economy, the degree of imbalance between systems has been alleviated, and regional economic development has lagged behind the tourism industry. It is necessary to continue to explore the industrial and economic development model. The second stage is the high-level coupling stage (2011–2020). At this stage, the gap between the tourism industry and the regional economic system in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has gradually narrowed, and the transformation from single coordination to good coordination has achieved a qualitative leap, and the degree of coordination is close to the optimal. With the strong support of relevant policies such as the development of the western region, the construction of the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle, the revitalization of the countryside and the construction of the rural complex, finance and resources are tilted towards the Sichuan–Chongqing region; the construction process of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is rapidly promoted, and the implementation of mechanisms such as resource integration, co-construction and sharing, and coordinated development have been implemented.

4.3. Coupling Coordination Gray Correlation Analysis

Based on Formulas (6) and (7), the coupling correlation coefficient and correlation degree between the tourism industry and the regional economy are calculated, as shown in

Table 4. Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle tourism industry and regional economic coupling correlation coefficient and correlation degree.

	Total Tourism Revenue as a Share of GDP	Number of Inbound Tourists	Number of Domestic Tourists	Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism	Domestic Tourism Revenue	Number of Star Hotels	Number of Travel Agencies	Number of Employees in the Tertiary Industry	Per Capita Consumption Level	The Average Value
Regional GDP	0.93	0.91	0.95	0.90	0.92	0.86	0.94	0.74	0.80	0.88
Regional fiscal revenue	0.91	0.90	0.95	0.89	0.90	0.86	0.92	0.74	0.78	0.87
Regional fiscal expenditure	0.71	0.70	0.73	0.69	0.71	0.66	0.72	0.88	0.93	0.75
GDP per capita	0.74	0.74	0.78	0.73	0.74	0.70	0.76	0.92	0.97	0.79
Regional GDP Growth Rate	0.64	0.64	0.64	0.64	0.62	0.65	0.66	0.72	0.70	0.66
The tertiary industry’s share of GDP	0.73	0.72	0.72	0.73	0.75	0.69	0.72	0.82	0.82	0.74
Passenger traffic	0.60	0.60	0.59	0.59	0.58	0.60	0.62	0.83	0.78	0.64
Postal service volume	0.74	0.74	0.77	0.72	0.73	0.69	0.75	0.92	0.97	0.78
Population	0.65	0.68	0.65	0.66	0.63	0.70	0.67	0.73	0.70	0.68
Per capita disposable income	0.83	0.83	0.84	0.83	0.84	0.82	0.84	0.88	0.89	0.84
The average value	0.75	0.74	0.76	0.74	0.74	0.72	0.76	0.82	0.83	/

. The indicators of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle have different degrees of influence on the coupling and coordination of the two systems. They have a strong correlation, and the correlation degree is greater than 0.5. The relationship between strength and weakness is as follows: resident participation > employment absorption > industrial advantage > industrial scale > tourism income > tourism resources; economic level > social development > environmental resources.

In the process of the impact of the tourism industry on the regional economy, the correlation coefficient of each index reflects a strong coupling correlation among which the per capita consumption level of residents (0.83) was the highest. The consumption level of residents is positively correlated with the overall economic situation of the region. GDP growth, per capita income increase, and high-level consumption by residents will also increase, which will have a positive impact on the development of tourism. The number of star hotels (0.72) has the lowest correlation with the regional economic system. In general, tourism has a strong correlation and driving effect. However, while promoting the development of the accommodation industry, tourism does not mean that the increase in the number of star hotels can have a strong reaction to the tourism industry. In the process of the influence of the regional economy on the tourism, the correlation coefficient of each index reveals a strong coupling correlation, and the correlation of regional GDP (0.88) was the highest. According to the “Economic Development Report of Sichuan–Chongqing Economic Circle in 2021” issued by the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, the total economic output of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle in 2021 accounts for 6.5% of the country’s economic output and 30.8% of the western region’s. The economic growth rate is fast, and the per capita income level is improved year-on-year. The collaborative innovation development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has achieved remarkable results, and the leading role of core cities is highlighted. The correlation between passenger volume (0.64) and the tourism industry system is the lowest. In the process of regional economic and tourism industry development, passenger transport is always at the forefront of the market and plays an important role in promoting economic and industrial development. From the current point of view, the tourist source of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is mainly peripheral or self-driving, so the impact of passenger volume on the tourism industry does not play a key role.

The results of the gray correlation analysis demonstrate that there is a strong coupling relationship between the tourism industry and the regional economic system in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. To further improve the coupling and coordination degree between the tourism industry system and the regional economic system, future development should rely on improving the level of regional economic development, increasing residents‘ income, continuing to strengthen internal cooperation, improving cooperation mechanisms, attaching importance to the construction of regional and world-class tourism destinations, enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, and achieving rapid economic growth.

5. Conclusions and Suggestions

5.1. Conclusions

Taking the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle as the research area, this paper constructs the evaluation index system and makes use of the coordinated coupling model to explore the comprehensive level and coupling coordination development trend of the tourism industry and regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, utilizing gray correlation analysis to analyze the key factors affecting the difference of coupling coordination. It is found that there is a strong coupling and coordination relationship between the tourism industry and regional economic development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. With the rapid development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the interaction between the two systems is closer:

(1)

From 2000 to 2020, the comprehensive development index of the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle reflects a steady growth trend. The overall performance is that the regional economic system lags behind the tourism industry system, and the tourism industry plays an obvious driving role, which has become a crucial driving force leading the development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. During this period, the tourism industry and the regional economy of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle were greatly affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic. Nevertheless, due to the high level of economic and social development in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle and the strong leisure atmosphere in Sichuan and Chongqing, various forms of tourism consumption demand in Sichuan and Chongqing will be activated immediately at the end of the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus epidemic, with huge consumption potential, and the tourism industry and regional economy will recover rapidly.

(2)

From 2000 to 2020, the degree of coupling and coordination between the tourism industry and the regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has gradually increased, demonstrating a steady development trend, and the interaction between the systems has become increasingly strengthened. The coupling stage experienced the change process of ‘antagonism–running-in–high-level coupling–running-in’ and is still in the running-in and high-level coupling stage on the whole. The coupling coordination state has gradually developed from serious imbalance to good coordination, indicating that the coordinated development mechanism between the tourism industry and the regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has achieved remarkable results. The industrial systems in the region have been integrated and developed, and the tourism industrial structure, such as rural tourism, eco-tourism, and health tourism, has been optimized and upgraded, while the regional economy has been improved. Meanwhile, the transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry drive regional economic growth; the regional economy strongly supports the sustainable development of the tourism industry.

(3)

In the development system of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, the per capita consumption level of residents and the number of employees in the tertiary industry of tourism as well as the regional GDP, regional fiscal revenue, and per capita disposable income in the regional economy are the critical factors that affect the difference of coupling coordination between the tourism industry and regional economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle. Therefore, when formulating development policies, countries or regions and urban agglomerations should emphasize improving the level of regional economic development, strengthening internal cooperation and external expansion mechanisms, enhancing regional comprehensive competitiveness, and achieving rapid regional economic growth and industrial sustainable development.

In summary, according to the existing research results and the characteristics of the industry and economic system of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, this study elaborates the coupling development mechanism within the system, constructs a targeted and universal evaluation index system, and lays a theoretical foundation for the future development and evaluation of urban agglomerations. Simultaneously, through qualitative and quantitative comprehensive analysis, the theoretical logic and influencing factors of industry and economic development are deeply explored, and the two-way coupling relationship between the tourism industry and the regional economic system in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is verified. The conclusion echoes the research viewpoints of scholars such as Raza [2], Trang [10], Zhao [12], Antonakakis [17], etc., and provides a practical reference for promoting the coordinated high-quality development of industry and economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle.

5.2. Suggestions

(1)

Improve the coordinated development mechanism of the tourism economy in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle to promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry.

The construction of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is not only to meet the needs of the development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle, but also is an important strategic layout for national regional development. From the comprehensive development level of the tourism industry, the development of the tourism industry in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle has maintained a good growth trend, but the ability to resist risks and deal with risks indicates a weak state. Based on this, the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle should implement economic “collectivization” development and jointly promote it. Firstly, the construction of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle should eliminate regional barriers, establish a mechanism for the development of the economic circle of coordinated progress and shared governance, improve infrastructure and tourism service facilities, and lay a sound foundation for the high-quality development of the tourism economy. Secondly, the establishment of the Sichuan–Chongqing Economic Circle Tourism Cooperation Alliance, the creation of operational mechanisms and standards, should coordinate guidance within the economic circle of tourism planning, tourism market, business management, product innovation, etc., to eliminate obstacles to regional cooperation, the formation of resource sharing, and the free flow of elements of a high-quality cooperation environment. Finally, the government and enterprises’ collaborative development, reform, and innovation should build a tourism economic cooperation platform to actively play the significant role of government, enterprises, social organizations, communities, and residents in regional tourism cooperation, create opportunities for the innovation and development of the tourism industry, and provide a development platform.

(2)

Enhance the level of the regional economy and promote the balanced development of the tourism industry and regional economy.

The regional GDP in the regional economic system of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle is the most critical factor affecting the coupling and coordination between the systems. Based on this, the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle should create a more relaxed economic and industrial policy, optimize public services and facilities, and focus on improving the regional economic level and regional comprehensive strength, to increase residents’ disposable income, stimulate residents’ potential tourism consumption demand, narrow the gap between the tourism industry and regional economic development, and achieve balanced development of industry and economy.

(3)

Constructing ‘Green+’ driving mode to promote sustainable development of tourism economy.

In accordance with the synergy theory and the externality characteristics of the tourism industry and regional development, regional economic strength is the main driving force for the development of tourism, and the tourism industry is also constantly promoting regional economic development in the process of transformation and upgrading. The development of the tourism industry in the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle can effectively drive the coordinated development of related industries and attach a great importance to resource integration, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Thus, the future development of the Sichuan–Chongqing economic circle should increase the protection and construction of the ecological environment, pay attention to the green development of the economy and industry, integrate all resources in the region based on the ‘dual-core linkage’ model, enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of the region, drive rural tourism with urban tourism, enhance farmers’ self-employment with the large-scale operation of enterprises, and advance community development with individual tourists. Meanwhile, the tourism industry economy drives the green sustainable development of transportation, catering and accommodation, Internet, and other industries, builds industrial clusters, and realizes the sustainable development of industry and economy.