Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity Review, Hotspot, Issue, and Prospect

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 12;19(24):16663. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416663.

Abstract

With the ongoing expansion of tourism, a conflict has arisen between economic growth in the tourism industry and environmental preservation, which has attracted the interest of government and academic groups. Because it enables the adaption of tourist activities and buildings in the tourism area in order to protect the natural resources of the scenic area while seeking economies of scale, the tourism environmental carrying capacity system is an essential tool for resolving this conundrum. It also enables tourist sites to grow sustainably while understanding their limitations and carrying capacity. This study uses Citespace 6.1.2 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 analysis software to conduct a bibliometric analysis and review of 297 articles on tourism environmental carrying capacity. This analysis includes early warning studies, assessment models and management tools, and analyses of keyword co-occurrence and emergent word co-occurrence. The article's conclusion makes recommendations for further research, including the division of each interest group, improved dynamic forecast and early warning of tourism environmental carrying capacity, and the development of an objective, scientific model of tourism carrying capacity.

Keywords: Citespace; Scopus; Vosviewer; sustainable development; tourism environmental carrying capacity.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Conservation of Natural Resources* / methods
  • Economic Development
  • Tourism*

Grants and funding

This research study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (NO. 41971171).