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Explora: Environment
and Resource Tourism resources of Xinjiang

1. Introduction heatwave conditions, and the distribution of tourism
destinations in Xinjiang.
1.1. The practical background
1.3. The significance of the study
Xinjiang, China, is located in the heart of the Eurasian
continent, with a diverse and complex landscape that Based on the tourism resource database for Xinjiang, we
includes mountains, deserts, grasslands, basins, rivers, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the distribution
and lakes, forming various unique natural destinations. characteristics of tourism destinations in Xinjiang, as
The region’s long geological development history, well as the spatial coupling features of elevation, rivers,
complex geological structures, and volcanic activities roads, and the heatwave index. By reviewing yearbook
have preserved several rare geological relics. Xinjiang data, we analyzed the tourism revenue in Xinjiang from
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is home to 13 indigenous ethnic groups and serves as 1990 to 2023. Based on the data and analysis, our study
a core area for the blending of Eastern and Western offers suggestions for the development of tourism in the
cultures, offering unique resources for ethnic cultural region. This study provides a systematic summary of
tourism. In addition, Xinjiang borders eight countries the tourism situation in Xinjiang, offering support for
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and has 17 open ports, giving it a geographical further research, regional tourism resource planning,
advantage for the development of cross-border environmental protection, and tourism policy-making in
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tourism. However, partly due to the long distance from the future.
the east, to date, research on the distribution of tourism
resources in Xinjiang has been limited. 2,4,5 The large- 2. Materials and methods
scale study across China covers very little information 2.1. Data sources
about Xinjiang. Although tourism revenue in the
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region has seen continuous growth in recent years, a The data on the distribution of tourism destinations in
detailed analysis of the overall situation is still lacking. Xinjiang were mainly derived from the database of the
Most existing studies focus on specific issues, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This database records
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tourism revenue data used covers only a short time 630 major tourism destinations in Xinjiang, with detailed
span. 3,7,8 information available for 500 of these places, representing
the main tourism resources in the region. The tourism
1.2. The empirical background revenue data for Xinjiang were primarily obtained from
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Tourist behavior is influenced by factors such as yearbooks and the statistical bulletins on the national
the characteristics, accessibility, and comfort of the economy and social development of the region for 2022
destination. The elevation, regional river system and 2023, published by the Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang
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distribution, and road network of a tourism destination Uygur Autonomous Region (https://tjj.xinjiang.gov.cn/).
can impact tourists’ travel choices. For example, The heatwave data for Xinjiang were taken from Dong
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compared to northern Xinjiang, the lower accessibility et al., and the calculation method for the heatwave
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of tourism destinations in southern Xinjiang results index was based on Russo and Domeisen. The elevation,
in limited tourism development in the region. Under major roads, and river data for Xinjiang were sourced
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the global climate change and shifts in environmental from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Resource and
factors, the effects of extreme heatwaves on tourism in Environmental Science data platform (https://www.
Xinjiang are becoming more evident. Heatwaves refer resdc.cn/).
to prolonged periods of abnormally high temperature.
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At present, the heatwave index is commonly used to 2.2. Methods
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characterize regional heatwave conditions. High The tourism destinations were primarily categorized
temperatures and heat waves can affect the travel into five types: (i) geomorphological landscape, (ii)
experience of tourists. If hot weather persists, it may water scenery, (iii) biological landscape, (iv) historical
force tourists to cut their trips short or choose other site and architecture, and (v) leisure, education, and
destinations, which can, in turn, impact tourism exercise. The distribution characteristics of each type
revenue. Some tourism destinations in Xinjiang that are of these destinations in Xinjiang were analyzed, and
less affected by heatwaves may become more attractive ArcGIS 10.3 was used to map the distributions of
choices, while conversely, destinations that offer high- tourism destinations. In addition, by incorporating the
temperature experiences may also attract some visitors. elevation data for each destination, the distribution
However, there has been no analysis of the relationship of each type of landscape across different elevation
between elevation, river systems, road networks, ranges was statistically analyzed. The coupling of

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 2 doi: 10.36922/EER025060010