Unraveling critical paths and inequalities in the tourism industry: An integrated water-energy-carbon nexus approach for China
9 affiliations
- 1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China; International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, 10220, Thailand; Singapore University of Social Sciences, 599494, Singapore; Corresponding author at: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, No. 16 North Road, Guilin, Huangshi, Hubei, 435003, China.
- 2School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
- 3School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- 4Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering, Da-Yeh University, Changhua, 51591, Taiwan
- 5North Alabama International College of Engineering and Technology (NAICET), Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- 6School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China
- 7School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China; School of Resources and Environment, Yangtze University, Wuhan, 430100, China
- 8School of Architecture & Built Environment, Entrepreneurship, Commercialization and Innovation Centre (ECIC), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
- 9Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi, 321004, China; Corresponding author at: Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, No. 3388 Yingbin Avenue, Lanxi, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321100, China.
Abstract
Tourism is a comprehensive industry that integrates diverse service sectors with complicatedly concurrent resource consumption and pollution. It forms a complex water-energy-carbon (W-E-C) footprint system that poses synergistic challenges to sustainable management. This study employs a multiregional input-output model and Structural Path Analysis to identify tourism’s W-E-C footprints and critical supply-chain paths in China. A tourism W-E-C nexus intensity index was developed to evaluate provincial resource-carbon coordination. Results show Jiangsu had the highest water footprint (2376 million m³, 13.4%), driven by accommodation; Guangdong led in carbon and energy footprints (46 million tons, 9.8%; 15 million tce, 10.6%), due to transportation. Key energy transfer path is “Transport→Petroleum processing”. Accommodation and catering showed severe water inequality (Gini = 0.472). Tibet’s overall tourism water share exceeded 80%, while energy and carbon were both <9%, indicating imbalance from limited industrial diversification. These findings provide full scale of environmental externalities to support sustainable and balanced regional tourism strategies.
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BibTeX
@article{lee2026unraveling,
title = {{Unraveling critical paths and inequalities in the tourism industry: An integrated water-energy-carbon nexus approach for China}},
author = {Lien-Chieh Lee and Xudong Yuan and Yuan Wang and Yu-Rui Huang and Cristhian Chicaiza-Ortiz and Haixiao Li and Zaimeng Li and Jian Zuo and Chenxue Feng and Ting Wu},
journal = {Sustainable Futures},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.sftr.2026.102247},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.102247},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Unraveling critical paths and inequalities in the tourism industry: An integrated water-energy-carbon nexus approach for China
AU - Lien-Chieh Lee
AU - Xudong Yuan
AU - Yuan Wang
AU - Yu-Rui Huang
AU - Cristhian Chicaiza-Ortiz
AU - Haixiao Li
AU - Zaimeng Li
AU - Jian Zuo
AU - Chenxue Feng
AU - Ting Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Sustainable Futures
DO - 10.1016/j.sftr.2026.102247
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.102247
AB - Tourism is a comprehensive industry that integrates diverse service sectors with complicatedly concurrent resource consumption and pollution. It forms a complex water-energy-carbon (W-E-C) footprint system that poses synergistic challenges to sustainable management. This study employs a multiregional input-output model and Structural Path Analysis to identify tourism’s W-E-C footprints and critical supply-chain paths in China. A tourism W-E-C nexus intensity index was developed to evaluate provincial resource-carbon coordination. Results show Jiangsu had the highest water footprint (2376 million m³, 13.4%), driven by accommodation; Guangdong led in carbon and energy footprints (46 million tons, 9.8%; 15 million tce, 10.6%), due to transportation. Key energy transfer path is “Transport→Petroleum processing”. Accommodation and catering showed severe water inequality (Gini = 0.472). Tibet’s overall tourism water share exceeded 80%, while energy and carbon were both <9%, indicating imbalance from limited industrial diversification. These findings provide full scale of environmental externalities to support sustainable and balanced regional tourism strategies.
SN - 2666-1888
ER -