Clean Industry? Tourism development and household energy poverty

The promotion of tourism development and the eradication of energy poverty are essential for realizing sustainable development goals. However, little attention has been given to whether tourism development and energy poverty are in conflict with each other and thus they hinder the realization of the SDGs. This study examines the impact of tourism development on household energy poverty using data from the 2014-2020 China Household Tracking Survey. The results show that tourism development can significantly reduce household energy poverty, and there is a causal relationship. Meanwhile, in rural areas and areas with relatively low energy production, the effect of tourism development in alleviating household energy poverty is greater. In addition, tourism development can increase household income, improve energy utilization and promote urban green innovation, and thus it canaffect household energy poverty in terms of both household energy purchasing power and accessibility. The results of the study expand new perspectives on poverty reduction through tourism and provide policy recommendations on how to promote tourism development for the eradication of energy poverty.

旅游业发展的推进与能源贫困的消除，对于实现可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals，SDGs）至关重要。然而，目前鲜有研究关注旅游业发展与能源贫困是否存在冲突，进而阻碍可持续发展目标的实现。本研究采用2014-2020年中国家庭追踪调查（China Household Tracking Survey）的数据，考察旅游业发展对家庭能源贫困（household energy poverty）的影响。研究结果表明，旅游业发展能够显著降低家庭能源贫困水平，且二者存在因果关联。与此同时，在农村地区以及能源产出相对较低的区域，旅游业发展对家庭能源贫困的缓解效应更为显著。此外，旅游业发展可提升家庭收入、改善能源利用效率并推动城市绿色创新，进而从家庭能源购买力与可获得性两个维度对家庭能源贫困产生作用。本研究的结论为旅游减贫领域拓展了全新研究视角，并为通过促进旅游业发展以消除能源贫困提供了政策建议。