How New Urbanization Affects Tourism Eco-Efficiency in China: An Analysis Considering the Undesired Outputs

Abstract

In the context of the global Sustainable Development Goals, the study of tourism eco-efficiency (TE) becomes particularly important for the balance between environmental protection and economic development in tourist destinations. This paper improves the measurement method of tourism carbon emissions, uses the Super-SBM model of undesired output to measure China’s TE, and then explores the impact of new urbanization (NU) on TE. The results show that TE in China is in dynamic equilibrium in general, the agglomeration characteristics of efficiency changed from high in the east and low in the west to low in the south and high in the north, and developmental differences first increased and then decreased. NU development has a significant one-way positive impact on TE at the national level and in the eastern region. As far as impact, economic urbanization plays a great role, and ecological factors become more and more important. NU has a rapid and long-term impact on TE, and its contribution rate to developed economic regions can reach 35%. This study will provide an important reference for sustainable development of tourism under the trend of urbanization.