Exploration of the coupling coordination between rural tourism development and agricultural eco-efficiency in islands: A case study of Hainan Island in China

Abstract

The coordinated development of rural tourism and ecological agriculture on islands is crucial for fostering sustainable human-ocean interactions. Existing research does not provide a detailed analysis of the relationship between rural tourism development (RTD) and agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE) from an island-based perspective. This study examines the 18 directly governed cities and counties of Hainan Island, China, as a case study to evaluate the intensity of RTD and AEE. Furthermore, the coupling coordination degree model and Geodetector are applied to analyze the spatial characteristics and driving factors influencing the coordinated development of RTD and AEE on Hainan Island. The results show: (1) Rural tourism spots on Hainan Island exhibit a spatial distribution characterized by high density in the south and lower density in the east and west, forming a “dual-center, block-shaped aggregation” pattern; (2) AEE on Hainan Island follows a “single-core development” pattern, characterized by centralized and contiguous areas with Sanya City as the nucleus, forming a single-core ecological agriculture zone; (3) The average coupling coordination degree between RTD and AEE on Hainan Island is 0.612, signifying a moderate level of coordination with notable disparities between the northern and southern regions; (4) The primary drivers of the spatial evolution of coordinated development are social, educational, and economic development levels, with explanatory powers of 0.592, 0.500, and 0.410, respectively. This research provides meaningful insights into the integrated development of rural tourism and ecological agriculture on islands.