Spatio-temporal pattern evolution of China’s provincial tourism efficiency and development level based on DEA-MI model

The spatial differences of efficiency and development level of regional tourism are evident, and the dynamic grasp of their spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and coupling coordination relationship is important to promote high-quality sustainable tourism development. Herein, we measured the tourism development level of 31 provincial units in China during 2000–2020, introduced the data envelopment analysis-based Malmquist productivity index to determine tourism efficiency, used exploratory spatiotemporal data analysis methods to explore the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of regional tourism differences and spatial structure, constructed a coupled coordination model of tourism efficiency and development level and analyzed their coupling excellence and synergistic consistency. The results were as follows: (1) The spatial differences of comprehensive tourism efficiency from 31 provinces were evident, and the average situation showed high and low distribution characteristics in the east and west, respectively. The interannual changes showed a fluctuating downward trend, with the scale efficiency playing a supporting role for comprehensive efficiency and technical efficiency playing an influencing and restraining role. (2) Less fluctuation existed in the local spatial structure of tourism efficiency and development level; the direction of dependence was more stable, tourism development level was slightly more volatile, and the spatial dependency direction changes were similar. The tourism efficiency of local structure competition posture was stronger than that of collaboration, with the tourism development level collaboration integration being stronger. (3) The local spatial structure of tourism development level was more stable, the relative position of provincial units was more difficult to change, tourism efficiency of local spatial structure was unstable, and provincial units exhibited a greater possibility of change. (4) Tourism efficiency and the scale of the overall coupling degree and coupling coordination gradually improved, with similar spatiotemporal values. The overall coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of tourism efficiency and development level gradually improved, with similar spatiotemporal heterogeneity and volatility of local evolution. The area with a higher value coupling coordination degree spread slower and more widely.