Rural Tourism Network Evaluation Based on Resource Control Ability Analysis: a Case Study of Ning’An, China

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Article Rural Tourism Network Evaluation Based on Resource Control Ability Analysis: A Case Study of Ning’an, China

Xue Jiang 1, Xiaoya Song 2,*, Hongyu Zhao 1 and Haoran Zhang 3,4,5

1 Urban Spatial Performance Assessment & Visualization & Decision-Making Lab, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130118, China; [email protected] (X.J.); [email protected] (H.Z.) 2 Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150006, China 3 Future Energy Center, Malardalen University, 721 23 Vasteras, Sweden; [email protected] 4 LocationMind Inc., 3-5-2 Iwamotocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0032, Japan 5 Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8568, Japan * Correspondence: [email protected]; +86-1868-687-5383

Abstract: Organization of rural tourism resources is important for optimizing rural land use based on rational resource classiﬁcation. Quantitative analysis was performed to evaluate the resource control ability of rural tourism networks. This was achieved by determining the resource control relationship and assessing the structure of the rural tourism network. The ability of resource control was analyzed via resource abstraction, which included the extraction of resource nodes and corridors, control scope analysis, and network structure level evaluation. The proposed approach was applied to the Ning’an in Heilongjiang Province, China, and proved to be effective for exploring the network degree and development trends in rural tourism resources. By examining the resource control ability, Citation: Jiang, X.; Song, X.; Zhao, the spatial characteristics and development trend in rural tourism networks were quantitatively H.; Zhang, H. Rural Tourism analyzed, especially the connection mode of key tourism resources, network structure analysis, and Network Evaluation Based on resource linking ability. The core resources showed a lack of outward ability in the network, and the Resource Control Ability Analysis: A secondary resource expansion ability was limited. Via resource control ability analysis, this study Case Study of Ning’an, China. Land focused on areas with rich tourism but an unbalanced spatial structure, combining the directional 2021, 10, 427. https://doi.org/ characteristics of the network to provide suggestions for the optimization rural tourism resources 10.3390/land10040427 network in other regions of the world.

Academic Editor: Antonio Raschi Keywords: tourism planning; rural tourism; spatial network analysis; resource control

Received: 27 March 2021 Accepted: 14 April 2021 Published: 16 April 2021 1. Introduction Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Modernization, industrialization, and urbanization constitute the background and with regard to jurisdictional claims in driving forces of global development. There is a notable trend in rural social decay and published maps and institutional afﬁl- disintegration, as rural areas have been considered independent of social relations emerging iations. during urbanization. This has gradually become a path for people to return to nature in a post-modern society [1,2]. In the second half of the 20th century, research on rural areas has declined in developed countries. In the 1990s, with the revival and reconstruction of rural areas, rural research received increasing attention in Western Europe, North America, Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. and other regions [3–6]. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Rural tourism is an important research topic for the effective organization of rural This article is an open access article land use [7,8], and its success largely depends on the sustainable spatial organization of distributed under the terms and tourism resources [9–11]. Previous studies have emphasized the tourism spatial experience conditions of the Creative Commons and its value-added upgrading functions [12–15]. Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// Smith [16], in a study on the urban-rural environmental imbalance in the United States, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ stated that urban tourism development is key to upgrading to regional tourism, which 4.0/).

Land 2021, 10, 427. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10040427 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land Land 2021, 10, 427 2 of 16

directly affects the rural residential living and recreation experience. Innskeep [17] pointed out that the construction of a spatial resource organization mechanism for tourism is the foundation of rural tourism development. Carte [18] proposed a combination of agriculture and tourism as conducive to rural revitalization, which can feasibly promote overall regional development by considering tourism as the dominant industry. Fundeanu [19] proposed that the organization of tourism-related land resources has significantly impacted rural tourism. Through an empirical study, Streifeneder [20] also proposed that rural tourism can be achieved by upgrading to resource space organization. In developing countries, rural decline is particularly prominent owing to the advance- ment of modernization and urbanization. Structure evaluation and optimization of a rural spatial tourism system are important means of achieving rural revitalization [21,22]. However, there is a lack of a quantitative network structure organization method. The tourism network structure refers to the spatial network formed by the interaction of tourism resources in a certain region [23–25]. It reflects the spatial attributes of tourism activities and the relationship between spatial resources [26]. The formation of a spatial network structure results from the coupling between the destination supply and demand systems [27]. In the spatial evaluation field, the “pole-axis” theory is often used to charac- terize the structure of resources [28]. When applying the theory to tourism spatial analysis, the poles generally refer to tourism resource points, including central towns or tourism destinations, and the axes normally include transportation and energy corridors [29,30]. This leads to a three-stage classification of tourism structure optimization, i.e., the polar nucleus type stage, point line type stage, and mature network [31]. Generally, the focus of network research is the evaluation of resource aggregation and dispersion, where resource control ability is an effective mean [32]. The network closure, line point ratio, and connectivity indices are used to evaluate the effectiveness, interference, and closure of a network [33]. In tourism networks, in particular, tourism-related energy transfer follows traffic, people, and capital flows [34]. In other words, a rural tourism network is a directed network. The control range of resources reflects the dominance of each node in the structure. However, few studies have focused on network structure reorganization caused by changes in individual resource dominance [19]. Herein, resource dominance was analyzed by constructing an evaluation route and method to quantitatively study tourism spatial organization. The directed tourism flow— formed by transportation, tourists, and tourism industry funds—is related to tourism resources. Moreover, the basic elements of a rural tourism network were identified, and an evaluation method of the network structure, including the resource control scope and structure relationship, was developed. Finally, specific screening criteria for conducting structural evaluation were determined. Ning’an, China, was selected as a case study to verify the analysis process and the structure evaluation results. This county contains nationally recognized tourist destinations and several secondary tourist spots, but the degree of promotion between tourism resources is limited, resulting in a relatively underdeveloped tourism network [35,36]. Analyzing the dominant relationship of tourism resources may facilitate the optimization of the regional tourism network. The results of this study have important reference significance for the evaluation and optimization of other rural areas worldwide that are rich in tourism resources but have significant imbalance in resource utilization.

2. Materials and Methods Tourism resources were regarded as “patches, corridors, or matrices” based on the theory of landscape ecology [23,28]. Then, a network was constructed that included the resource connection relationship and direction, which were determined by the scope of resources. Following, the hierarchical structure of the network was analyzed based on the resource connections and levels, and optimization was performed. Data processing comprised four parts: index evaluation system construction, resource qualitative index classiﬁcation (questionnaire survey), remote sensing image data acquisi- Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 15

Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 15 Data processing comprised four parts: index evaluation system construction, resource qualitative index classification (questionnaire survey), remote sensing image data acquisition (using the Envi 4.7 software), and resource control ability calculation (mathe- Land 2021, 10, 427 maticalData analysis processing of the comprised network structure). four parts: index evaluation system construction,3 of 16 resource qualitative index classification (questionnaire survey), remote sensing image data 2.1acquisition. Basic Network (using theElements Envi 4.7 software), and resource control ability calculation (mathematical analysis of the network structure). tion (usingIn quantitative the Envi 4.7 software),research andon spatial resource networks, control ability tourism calculation-related (mathematical resources—including analysis of the network structure). transportation, communication, ecology, and other spatial planning—are generally ab- 2.1. Basic Network Elements 2.1.stracted Basic Networkas network Elements elements to measure the operation system and structure of the net- In quantitative research on spatial networks, tourism-related resources—including work,In quantitativewhich is composed research on of spatial nodes networks, and corridors tourism-related based on resources—including the “pole-axis” theory [37]. In transportation, communication, ecology, and other spatial planning—are generally ab- transportation,this study, rural communication, tourism resource ecology, nodes and otherwere spatialthe poles planning—are, and corridors generally were ab- the axes. The stracted as network elements to measure the operation system and structure of the net- stractedmutual as resource network elements node control to measure ability the operation between system corridors and structure is represented of the network, by the resource whichwork, is which composed is composed of nodes andof nodes corridors and basedcorridors on the based “pole-axis” on the theory“pole-axis [37].” Intheory this [37]. In control ability, as shown in Figure 1. study,this study, rural tourismrural tourism resource resource nodes werenodes the were poles, the and poles corridors, and corridors were the were axes. the The axes. The mutualmutual resource resource node node control control ability ability between between corridors corridors is represented is represented by the resource by the resource controlcontrol ability, ability, as as shown shown in Figure in Figure1. 1.

Figure 1. Basic elements of a network model.

Figure2.2.Figure Rural 1. 1.Basic Basic Tourism elements elements Network of aof network a network Structure model. model. Analysis 2.2. RuralAs a Tourism complex Network network Structure structure, Analysis the transmission of energy in the network is direc- 2.2. Rural Tourism Network Structure Analysis tional,As awhere complex the network control structure, range reflects the transmission the ability of energyof the innodes the network to dominate is direc- the network As a complex network structure, the transmission of energy in the network is directional,structure where [38 the]. In control this study, range reflects the tourism the ability network of the nodeswas determined to dominate via the networkthe spatial relation- tional, where the control range reflects the ability of the nodes to dominate the network structureships and [38 service]. In this value study, of the the tourism resources network (Figure was determined 2). The spatial via the relationship spatial relation- dominates the structure [38]. In this study, the tourism network was determined via the spatial relation- shipsconnection and service of the value abstract of the resources elements, (Figure whereas2). The the spatial resource relationship values dominates determine the the network connectionships and ofservice the abstract value elements,of the resources whereas (Figure the resource 2). The values spatial determine relationship the network dominates the connection directions. The higher the value of a resource is, the higher the attraction of connectionconnection directions. of the abstract The higher elements, the value whereas of a resource the resource is, the values higher thedetermine attraction the of network tourismtourismconnection flow flow is.directions. is. The The spatial spatial The relationships higher relationships the were value used were of toa used determineresource to determine is, the the flow higher direction, the flow the fromattraction direction, of from low-lowtourism- to to high-value highflow -is.value The resources, resources,spatial andrelationships theand spatial the spatialwere control used control relationship to determine relationship analysis the includedflow analysis direction, the included from the element control range and network structure evaluation. elementlow- to high control-value range resources, and network and the structure spatial control evaluation. relationship analysis included the element control range and network structure evaluation.

FigureFigure 2. 2.Analysis Analysis path path of the of tourismthe tourism network network structure. structure. Figure 2. Analysis path of the tourism network structure. 2.2.1. Resource Control Range 2.2.1. Resource Control Range Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 15

Land 2021, 10, 427 4 of 16 In a directional network, the control range reflects the dominant ability of the node in the entire structure. The rural tourism network, G, can be written as G (V, L), where V is2.2.1. the Resourceset of resource Control Range nodes and L is the collection of resource corridors. In other words, the structuralIn a directional essence network, of the network control range abstraction reflects the is dominant the binary ability relationship of the node in expression of nodes.the entire For structure. a linear The invariant rural tourism dynamic network, system, G, can i.e., be written X(t) = asAX G( (V,t) + L), Bu where(t), the V is n × nm dimen- the set of resource nodes and L is the collection of resource corridors. In other words, the sionalstructural controllability essence of network matrix abstraction can be written is the binary as QC relationship = [B, AB expression, A2B, … of, An nodes. − 1B] [39]. Rank (QC)For a linearrepresents invariant the dynamic range in system, the controllable i.e., X(t) = AX(t) subspace + Bu(t), the in na ×structurednm dimensional system (A, B). In a ruralcontrollability tourism matrix network can bestructure, written as the QC control = [B, AB, ability A2B, ...of ,the An nodes− 1B] [39is]. measured Rank using the controllable(QC) represents subspace the range range. in the controllableThe controllable subspace subspace in a structured of node system i was (A, obtained B). In using ma- trixa rural simplification tourism network and structure, rank (QC the ( controli)) [40] ability as follows: of the nodes is measured using the controllable subspace range. The controllable subspace of node i was obtained using matrix simplification and rank (QC (i)) [40](푖 as) follows: (푖) (푖) 2 (푖) 푛−1 (푖) 푟푎푛푘 (푄퐶 ) = 푟푎푛푘 [푏 , 퐴푏 , 퐴 푏 , … , 퐴 푏 ] (1) (i) h (i) (i) 2 (i) n−1 (i)i For maximumrank matching,QC = rank M, bin ,theAb rural, A btourism,..., A network,b G, there is (1)a corresponding minimum input control pattern, CF (V, M∪AL). When considering the control range of a For maximum matching, M, in the rural tourism network, G, there is a corresponding single node, i, the control input matrix, B, is simplified to the column vector, b(i), and ma- minimum input control pattern, CF (V, M∪AL). When considering the control range of trixa single A is node,simplifiedi, the control to A(M) input. The matrix, control B, is range simplified of node to the i column was obtained vector, b(i) as, and follows [41]: matrix A is simplified to(A(M)푖) . The control( range푖) of node(푖) i was obtained(푖) as follows [41푛]:−1 (푖) 푟푎푛푘 (푄퐶 푀) = 푟푎푛푘 [푏 , 퐴(푀)푏 , 퐴(푀)푏 , … , (퐴(푀)) 푏 ] (2) (i) h − i rank Q M = rank b(i), A(M)b(i), A(M)b(i),..., (A(M))n 1b(i) (2) In the networkC structure, the controllable subspace and control range reflect different

controlIn the capabilities network structure, according the controllable to the structure subspace and (Figure control 3). range The reﬂect controllable different subspace of nodecontrol 1 in capabilities Figure 3a according is {1,3,5}. to theTherefore, structure the (Figure maximum3). The controllable impact range subspace of resource of node 1 is threenode 1units, in Figure without3a is {1,3,5}. considering Therefore, other the maximum impacts in impact the network. range of resource Correspon node 1dingly, the con- trolis three range units, of withoutnode 1 in considering Figure 3b other is {1,4}. impacts In other in the network.words, only Correspondingly, two resource the nodes must be activated.control range of node 1 in Figure3b is {1,4}. In other words, only two resource nodes must be activated.

(a) (b) FigureFigure 3.3.Controllable Controllable subspace subspace control control range comparison range comparison diagram: (a) diagram controllable: (a subspace) controllable of node subspace of node1 and 1 (b and) controllable (b) controllable subspace ofsubspace node 1. of node 1. 2.2.2. Resource Service Value 2.2.2.Service Resource values Service of resource Value tourism aim to reflect the attraction of tourism resources. A ruralService tourism values index evaluationof resource system tourism should aim consider to reflect the target the resourcesattraction of of regional tourism resources. Aconstruction rural tourism for rural index tourism evaluation [42–44]. Considering system should the case consider study herein, the we target focused resources on the of regional ecological, cultural, and recreational resources of rural tourism. In the construction of the constructionindex system, 14for indicators rural tourism and grading [42 standards–44]. Considering were proposed the (Table case1 ),study combined herein, with we focused on theGB/T ecological, 18972-2003 cultural, (“Classification, and recreational Investigation resources and Evaluation of rural of Tourism tourism. Resources”), In the construction of theGB index 50298-1999 system, (“Code 14 indicators for Scenic Area and Planning”),grading standards and other were standard proposed documents (Table in 1), combined wChinaith GB/T[45–48 ] 18972. Some-2003 indicators (“Classification, did not have a quantitative Investigation standard and classification Evaluation (e.g., of Tourism Re- reactional landscape quality). sources”), GB 50298-1999 (“Code for Scenic Area Planning”), and other standard documents in China [45–48]. Some indicators did not have a quantitative standard classification (e.g., reactional landscape quality). The index weights were calculated using the Delphi method. Twenty experts from related fields were invited to score the index weights, including urban and rural planning, landscape ecology, and tourism economics, among others. A total of 540 questionnaires were distributed; 529 were returned and 522 were valid. Field surveys were used to obtain the results for the resource classification. In the case of Ning’an, the questionnaire survey covered seven towns; questionnaires were collected from one township and two villages per town. In the questionnaire, the use of resources was focused. Finally, each index weight was computed from the average value and variance in the scoring results of the Land 2021, 10, 427 5 of 16

Table 1. Grade criteria for screening relevant elements of the tourism network.

Category Index Weight Classiﬁcation Criteria Grade Plaque scale area 0.12 >10,000 m2; 3000–10,000 m2; 500–3000 m2; >500 m2 (m2) Green space N —N 0.12 40–100%; 30–40%; 20–30%; 0–20% 01 04 coverage rate (%) Ecological resources Number of animal (Wetlands, Rivers, 0.03 >50; 40–50; 30–40; <30 Non-productive species woodland, Landscape No interference; mild interference; moderate 0.04 Grassland) fragmentation interference; severe interference Urban and rural natural background; Some rivers Types of connective and farmland; a small part of regional recreation 0.05 plaques resources; only residential areas and other construction land Architectural 0.09 >100; 80–100; 50–80; <50 N —N history (year) 01 04 Well-known globally, in China, in provinces, and in Recognition degree 0.12 cities; known only locally Well-preserved, meets the requirements of Integrity degree 0.08 N recreational activities 01 Degree of preservation is general, but it can meet the Cultural resources N02 (Cultural relics) requirements of recreational activities Must be partially restricted N03

Isolation protection is required N04 Function perfection degree, equipment Function matching 0.05 comprehensive degree (According to questionnaire N —N survey evaluation) 01 04 Investment and budget ratio of tourism resources Investment 0.08 construction Recreational Grading according to landscape quality(According to 0.07 landscape quality questionnaire survey evaluation) N01—N04 Recreation resources Transport junction 0.1 Railway; expressway; main road; secondary road (Residential areas, Equipment comprehensive degree(According to Transport service 0.03 Transport land) questionnaire survey evaluation) Characteristic road Quality of built or planned roads and landscape 0.02 quality roads(According to questionnaire survey evaluation) 1 Land use classiﬁcation refers to Corine Land Cover 2000.

The index weights were calculated using the Delphi method. Twenty experts from related fields were invited to score the index weights, including urban and rural planning, landscape ecology, and tourism economics, among others. A total of 540 questionnaires were distributed; 529 were returned and 522 were valid. Field surveys were used to obtain the results for the resource classification. In the case of Ning’an, the questionnaire survey covered seven towns; questionnaires were collected from one township and two villages per town. In the questionnaire, the use of resources was focused. Finally, each index weight was computed from the average value and variance in the scoring results of the experts. Each resource was classified on a four-grade scale (Table1), namely, very strong (N01), strong (N02), general (N03), and weak (N04), according to the standard classification and weight of each index. Land 2021, 10, 427 6 of 16

3. Case Study of Tourism Network Evaluation in Ning’an 3.1. General Situation in Ning’an Ning’an is located in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, China. It is a county composed of seven townships and is located in an economic corridor with rich tourism resources (Figure4). There are 58 scenic areas, including 13 major scenic spots and 45 secondary scenic areas. Natural leisure tourism resources include the Xiaobei Lake, Jingpo Lake, and Huashuchuan scenic areas. Among them, the Jingpo Lake is a national tourist park, which has a strong reputation and inﬂuence in China. Cultural leisure tourism Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 of 15 resources include the Shangjing Longquan site and Bohai Park, which have high cultural values. Agricultural leisure tourism is organized along national highway G201 in Ning’an, including the Bohai rice exhibition area and various ecological parks.

(a) (b) FigureFigure 4. 4.TourismTourism resources resources distribution distribution and location and of location Ning’an: ( aof) construction Ning’an: magnitude (a) construction for tourism magnitude demonstration for tourismareas anddemonstration (b) tourism resources areas distribution. and (b) tourism resources distribution. According to government statistics collected in 2020 (data available upon request According to governmentfrom: http://zw.ningan.gov.cn statistics collected, accessed in on 2020 20 December (data 2020) available and the uponfiled survey request (see Section2), tourism activities have an excessive dependence on the Jingpo Lake, whereas from: http://zw.ningan.gov.cnthe utilization, 20 rate December of other secondary 2020 tourism) and resources the filed is exceedingly survey low(see (Figure Section5). This 2), tourism activities havehas an resulted excessive in a serious dependence imbalance in on resource the Jingpo development. Lake, Cars whereas or tourist the buses utiliza- are the tion rate of other secondarymain mode tourism of transportation resources to theis Jingpoexceedingl Lake scenicy low area, (Figure which is 5). the This destination has re- of most tourists travelling through Mudanjiang City. This type of tourism mainly involves sulted in a serious imbalance1- or 2-day in tours. resource The influence development. of secondary Cars tourism or resources,tourist buses such as are the Bohaithe main and mode of transportationHuashuchuan to the Jingpo Scenic Areas,Lake is scenic relatively area, small. which Most tourists is the are destination locals or residents of of most Mu- danjiang City and other surrounding towns. Spatial relationship analysis and evaluation of tourists travelling throughtourism Mudanjiang resources are important City. This components type of tourism tourism industry mainly reorganization. involves Therefore, 1- or 2- day tours. The influenceresource of spatial secondary mode exploration tourism has certain resources, reference significance,such as theespecially Bohai for cities and Huashuchuan Scenic Areas,and towns is withrelatively several tourism small. resources Most tourists but medium are attraction, locals or similar residents to Ning’an. of Mu- danjiang City and other surrounding towns. Spatial relationship analysis and evaluation of tourism resources are important components of tourism industry reorganization. Therefore, resource spatial mode exploration has certain reference significance, especially for cities and towns with several tourism resources but medium attraction, similar to Ning’an.

(a) (b) Land 2021, 10, 427 7 of 16

(a) (b)

Figure 5. Investigation(c of) tourism resources: (a) arrival mode, (b) motivation, (c) access( times,d) and (d) stay days.

3.2. Abstraction of Network Elements 2 Our primary task was to determine the quantity and spatial distribution of resource nodes and corridors in Ning’an.2 The data for the analysis were obtained from remote sensing images (retrieved in March 2020, with a resolution of 10 m). The land cover map was interpreted from digital orthophotos using the ENVI 4.7 software. Based on the Master Plan for Ning’an (2011–2030), the nodes of tourism resources were divided into main attractions and general attractions (Figure6a), which were extracted from remotely-sensed images in the ENVI software, with reference to GPS control points and field excursions. From a spatial distribution perspective, tourism resource corridors are mainly concentrated in town areas and large-scale scenic areas, including the Jingpo Lake scenic area and Shangjing site group. Secondary corridors present a fishbone spatial distribution structure (Figure6b). The main corridors mainly connect downtown Shangjing site group, Jingpo Lake, and Huashuchuan scenic area. The tourism resource corridors include transportation, ecology, landscape, and industry corridors. The distribution of the corridors is scattered and does not reveal a cohesive system. The nodes of the connection network are not sufficiently close, which renders activation difficulties. In the extraction process, the resource nodes were first abstracted and numbered. A total of 23 patch centroids were determined, including recreational, human, ecological, and industrial resource nodes. Resource corridors were abstracted in the form of connecting lines to represent the organizational relationships between nodes (Figure7). This was used to analyze the classification and evaluation of the network level. Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 15

(c) (d) Figure 5. Investigation of tourism resources: (a) arrival mode, (b) motivation, (c) access times, and (d) stay days.

3.2. Abstraction of Network Elements Our primary task was to determine the quantity and spatial distribution of resource nodes and corridors in Ning’an. The data for the analysis were obtained from remote sensing images (retrieved in March 2020, with a resolution of 10 m). The land cover map was interpreted from digital orthophotos using the ENVI 4.7 software. Based on the Master Plan for Ning’an (2011‒2030), the nodes of tourism resources were divided into main at- Land 2021tractions, 10, 427 and general attractions (Figure 6a), which were extracted from remotely-sensed 8 of 16 images in the ENVI software, with reference to GPS control points and field excursions.

Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 15

and industrial resource(a) nodes. Resource corridors were abstracted(b) in the form of connecting lines to represent the organizational relationships between nodes (Figure 7). This was FigureFigure 6. 6.Spatial Spatial distribution distribution of tourism of tourism resources reso in Ning’an:urces in (Ninga) resource’an: ( nodea) resource distributions node and distributions (b) resource corridorand distributions.used(b) resource to analyze corridor the distributions classification. and evaluation of the network level.

From a spatial distribution perspective, tourism resource corridors are mainly concentrated in town areas and large-scale scenic areas, including the Jingpo Lake scenic area and Shangjing site group. Secondary corridors present a fishbone spatial distribution structure (Figure 6b). The main corridors mainly connect downtown Shangjing site group, Jingpo Lake, and Huashuchuan scenic area. The tourism resource corridors include transportation, ecology, landscape, and industry corridors. The distribution of the corridors is scattered and does not reveal a cohesive system. The nodes of the connection network are not sufficiently close, which renders activation difficulties. In the extraction process, the resource nodes were first abstracted and numbered. A total of 23 patch centroids were determined, including recreational, human, ecological,

(a) (b) Figure 7. Abstraction7. Abstraction and connection and connection of resources: of (a) resources geometric abstraction: (a) geometric of resource abstraction nodes and corridors, of resource and (b) abstract nodes and resourcecorridors connection., and (b) abstract resource connection.

3.3. Spatial Dominant Relationship 3.3. Spatial Dominant Relationship According to the abstract network basis, the resource control scope and network can According to thebe quantitatively abstract network analyzed, basis, which canthe optimizeresource the control tourism structure. scope and network can be quantitatively analyzed,3.3.1. Resource which Control can Scope optimize the tourism structure.

The tourism network, G, is represented by the weight matrix, W. Here, Wij represents 3.3.1. Resource Controlthe intensity Scope of the tourism ﬂow from resource nodes i to j in the network. The calculation process for the spatial control ability of the resource elements has a certain similarity. Taking The tourism network,resource node G, is 1 asrepresented an example, the by control the weight range was matrix, calculated W. as Here, follows: Wij represents the intensity of the tourism flow from resource nodes i to j in the network. The calculation rank Q1 (M)= rank[b(1), A(M)b(1)A(M)2b(1),..., A(M)22b(1)] = process for the spatial control abilityC of the resource elements has a certain similarity. Tak-(3) rank (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17) = 12 ing resource node 1 as an example, the control range was calculated as follows: rank (푄1(푀)) = rank[푏(1), 퐴(푀)푏(1)퐴(푀)2푏(1), … , 퐴(푀)22푏(1)]= rank (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17) 퐶 (3) = 12 Resource node 1 can directly or indirectly control 12 other resource nodes, such as nodes 2 and 3 (Figure 8). In the construction of a tourism network, the combination of node 1 and other resource elements has a different impact on the tourism flow of the 12 nodes related to the network. Similar to this process, the control range of the resources can be obtained from nodes 2–23.

Figure 8. Control range of resource node 1. Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 15

and industrial resource nodes. Resource corridors were abstracted in the form of connecting lines to represent the organizational relationships between nodes (Figure 7). This was used to analyze the classification and evaluation of the network level.

(a) (b) Figure 7. Abstraction and connection of resources: (a) geometric abstraction of resource nodes and corridors, and (b) abstract resource connection.

3.3. Spatial Dominant Relationship According to the abstract network basis, the resource control scope and network can be quantitatively analyzed, which can optimize the tourism structure.

3.3.1. Resource Control Scope

The tourism network, G, is represented by the weight matrix, W. Here, Wij represents the intensity of the tourism flow from resource nodes i to j in the network. The calculation process for the spatial control ability of the resource elements has a certain similarity. Tak- ing resource node 1 as an example, the control range was calculated as follows: rank (푄1(푀)) = rank[푏(1), 퐴(푀)푏(1)퐴(푀)2푏(1), … , 퐴(푀)22푏(1)]= rank (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17) Land 2021, 10, 427 퐶 9 of 16 (3) = 12 Resource node 1 can directly or indirectly control 12 other resource nodes, such as nodesResource 2 and node 3 (Figure 1 can directly 8). In or the indirectly construction control 12of other a tourism resource network, nodes, such the as combination of nodesnode 2 1 and and 3 (Figure other8 ).resource In the construction elements of has a tourism a different network, impact the combination on the tourism of node flow of the 12 1 and other resource elements has a different impact on the tourism ﬂow of the 12 nodes relatednodes to related the network. to the Similar network. to this Similar process, to the this control process, range ofthe the control resources range can be of the resources obtainedcan be obtained from nodes from 2–23. nodes 2–23.

Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 15

FigureFigure 8. Control8. Control range range of resource of resource node 1. node 1.

The characteristics ofof thethe resourcesresources themselves themselves mainly mainly determine determine the the control control range range of theof the resource resource nodes, nodes, whereas whereas the the relationship relationship between between resource resource nodes nodes determines determine thats that of theof the resource resource corridors. corridors. Specifically, Specifically, an increasedan increased number number of corridorsof corridors that that overlap overlap in the in samethe same direction direction results results in a in stronger a stronger control control ability ability and and larger larger control control range. range. For For example, exam- theple, tourismthe tourism flow flow of resource of resource corridor corridor 2 formed 2 formed via thevia superpositionthe superposi oftion corridors of corridors 1 and 1 3.and Therefore, 3. Therefore, the tourismthe tourism flow flow in resource in resource corridors corridors 1 and 1 3and can 3 be can indirectly be indirectly controlled con- bytrolled dominating by dominating the flow the in flow corridor in corridor 2 in the 2 in network the network restructuring. restructuring. Figure Figure9 shows 9 shows the relationshipthe relationship between between resources resources according according to their to their value value grades. grades.

Figure 9. Tourism ﬂowflow direction.

3.3.2. Network Structure Classification of Ning’an To classify the network hierarchy, the existing rural tourism network structure in Ning’an was divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary networks (Figure 10). In the primary structure, the spatial distribution was relatively balanced, covering the main resource nodes of each region, including the main roads, rivers, industries, scenic spots, and other skeleton elements. The secondary network structure improved the connectivity of the primary network and connected regions in the central part of the county. However, the secondary network has not formed a mature network system because the relationship between corridors is relatively weak. The tertiary level network reflected the internal connections of tourism clusters. The related resources were mainly concentrated in limited areas, including the eastern and southern clusters. Therefore, it cannot effectively play an extended role in the network. The unbalanced distribution of elements indicated that the tertiary network cannot provide a link among resources. The imbalance between the spatial distribution is the main disadvantage of the current spatial dominance relationship. Land 2021, 10, 427 10 of 16

3.3.2. Network Structure Classiﬁcation of Ning’an To classify the network hierarchy, the existing rural tourism network structure in Ning’an was divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary networks (Figure 10). In the primary structure, the spatial distribution was relatively balanced, covering the main resource nodes of each region, including the main roads, rivers, industries, scenic spots, and other skeleton elements. The secondary network structure improved the connectivity of the primary network and connected regions in the central part of the county. However, the secondary network has not formed a mature network system because the relationship between corridors is relatively weak. The tertiary level network reﬂected the internal connections of tourism clusters. The related resources were mainly concentrated in limited areas, including the eastern and southern clusters. Therefore, it cannot effectively play an extended role in the network. The unbalanced distribution of elements indicated that Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEWthe tertiary network cannot provide a link among resources. The imbalance between10 of 15 the

spatial distribution is the main disadvantage of the current spatial dominance relationship.

(a) (b) (c)

FigureFigure 10. 10.Classiﬁcation Classification of the abstract network network:(:(aa) )first, ﬁrst, (b ()b second,) second, and and (c) ( cthird) third levels. levels.

4.4. ResultsResults and Discussion In this section, the structural characteristics of the network are summarized, and In this section, the structural characteristics of the network are summarized, and potential problems are identified. Further, the need for network optimization and potential problems are identiﬁed. Further, the need for network optimization and expansion expansion is evaluated. Based on the spatial control range of the resource nodes, we can is evaluated. Based on the spatial control range of the resource nodes, we can observe the observe the distribution of the regional core resource nodes and their relative utilization. distribution of the regional core resource nodes and their relative utilization. 4.1. Spatial Characteristics of Resources 4.1. Spatial Characteristics of Resources (1) Resource nodes (1) Resource nodes Analysis of the dominant characteristics of the resource nodes reveals certain differ- Analysis of the dominant characteristics of the resource nodes reveals certain differ- ences in the distributions of the strong and weak dominant nodes. In Ning’an, nodes with ences in the distributions of the strong and weak dominant nodes. In Ning’an, nodes with strong spatial dominance are located near the central axis of the county, whereas weak strong spatial dominance are located near the central axis of the county, whereas weak dominance nodes are located in the marginal area. Strongly dominant nodes are concen- dominancetrated in the nodes core clusters. are located From in the the dominance marginal area.relationships Strongly perspective dominant of nodes a dominance are concen- tratedrelationship, in the coreresources clusters. with From more the connections dominance present relationships the form perspectiveof a centralize ofd a distribu- dominance relationship,tion. Among them, resources resource with node more 1 connections(downtown) has present the highest the form number of a centralized of control nodes, distribution.forming Among the core them, control resource area. node Second, 1 (downtown) the control scope has the of highestresource number node 18 of(Jingpo control Lake nodes, formingscenic area) the covers core control the main area. tourism Second, nodes the controlin the western scope ofregion resource of th nodee county, 18 (Jingpo forming Lake scenican important area) covers core in the the mainnetwork. tourism However, nodes its in control the western ability regionis limited of within the county, the Jingpo forming anLake important scenic area. core At in present, the network. most nodes However, with a its weak control control ability ability is limitedare still withinlocated thewithin Jingpo Lakethe network, scenic area. such At as present, nodes 6, most 12, 13, nodes 17, 19, with and a 23 weak, which control are abilityat the end are of still the located network, within thesuch network, that node such integration as nodes is 6,relatively 12, 13, 17,low. 19, and 23, which are at the end of the network, such thatSecond, node the integration development is relativelypath of core low. resources determines the formation of network structure,Second, and the the development formation of pathcore ofgroup core relies resources on resources. determines However, the formation the excessively of network structure,uneven distribution and the formation of resources of coreis a serious group constraint relies on resources. to the further However, development the excessively of the unevenwhole network. distribution For example, of resources the downtown, is a serious Jingpo constraint Lake to scenic the further area, and development other core re- of the sources constitute spatial links and function transmission in the entire region, exhibiting a strong dominance in the network. Simultaneously, they are destinations within Ning’an. However, there is a group structure in these resources, indicating that the two-core network presents an insufficient outward expansion ability. A change in network structure directly affects the overall network benefit cost. This is not only reflected in the control power of the node itself, but also in the cost of controlling the entire network. Therefore, the spatial control scope of a rural tourism network reflects the actual demand and utility maximization of tourism resources in a network. (2) Resource corridors The distribution of corridors and the connected direction of the tourism flow embody the network degree of conversion efficiency between resources. This can also be used to identify low-valley areas in the network. The connection characteristics of corridors are the basic connection degree and resource integration. The lack of connection causes spatial discontinuity, and insufficient resource integration results in low space utilization. Land 2021, 10, 427 11 of 16

whole network. For example, the downtown, Jingpo Lake scenic area, and other core resources constitute spatial links and function transmission in the entire region, exhibiting a strong dominance in the network. Simultaneously, they are destinations within Ning’an. However, there is a group structure in these resources, indicating that the two-core network presents an insufficient outward expansion ability. A change in network structure directly affects the overall network benefit cost. This is not only reflected in the control power of the node itself, but also in the cost of controlling the entire network. Therefore, the spatial control scope of a rural tourism network reflects the actual demand and utility maximization of tourism resources in a network. (2) Resource corridors The distribution of corridors and the connected direction of the tourism flow embody the network degree of conversion efficiency between resources. This can also be used to identify low-valley areas in the network. The connection characteristics of corridors are the basic connection degree and resource integration. The lack of connection causes spatial discontinuity, and insufficient resource integration results in low space utilization. In Ning’an, low network connectivity is the primary structural problem, as the dispersion of clusters leads to structural imbalance. Some resource corridors lack control in the network key position, while branching corridors result in limited resource allocation. Most resources with little contribution to the network organization of the tourism resources appear at the end of the network, where there are fewer network loops. The corridors along the Mudanjiang River and national highway G201 are isolated. The low valleys in the network affect the overall structure organization. The structural problem of isolation exists under the branch form and “dumbbell” corridor system. The connectivity between resource nodes is mostly discontinuous because of the number and connection mode of the corridors. Other resources are well connected but must be further integrated. The connection between the main recreational resource nodes has fully utilized provincial roads, county and township roads, and rural roads, as well as transportation resources in Ning’an. However, integration is still required to connect existing water bodies, valleys, ridges, and other relatively stable tourism environmental resources.

4.2. Disadvantages of the Spatial Network Structure The shortcomings of the spatial network structure are mainly associated with the connection of regional clusters, secondary tourism flow expansion, and resource cooperation. In Ning’an, the main limitations are as follows: (1) Unbalanced dominance among clusters At present, the network structure is divided into four clusters; however, weak links remain, as in the fringe area. Resources with a high network control ability and corridors with high tourism flow rates are concentrated in each group. Therefore, the connections must be balanced among the clusters. The network structure can be fragmented by enhancing the connectivity of network tourism flows (Figure 11). (2) Limited secondary resource space expansion The agglomeration and diffusion present a pattern of overall dispersion with a partial concentration, thus forming the core nodes and realizing the radiation of the tourism value throughout the entire region. However, secondary resource nodes are distributed in scattered clusters, resulting in a dumbbell-shaped spatial structure. If construction contin- ues based on this trend, the regional spatial layout and development mode will become increasingly unbalanced, and it will restrict the formation of a spatial network pattern. (3) Lack of coordinated space development In the analysis of tourism network relationship, the lack of spatial connection is a common problem. To address this problem, we propose the direction of spatial solution (Figure 12). The construction scale of the tourism industry, with Jingpo Lake scenic area as the core, has increased, while the phenomena of functional duplication and industrial isomorphism have become more serious. From a spatial distribution perspective, although Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 of 15

In Ning’an, low network connectivity is the primary structural problem, as the dispersion of clusters leads to structural imbalance. Some resource corridors lack control in the network key position, while branching corridors result in limited resource allocation. Most resources with little contribution to the network organization of the tourism resources appear at the end of the network, where there are fewer network loops. The corridors along the Mudanjiang River and national highway G201 are isolated. The low valleys in the network affect the overall structure organization. The structural problem of isolation exists under the branch form and “dumbbell” corridor system. The connectivity between resource nodes is mostly discontinuous because of the number and connection mode of the corridors. Other resources are well connected but must be further integrated. The connection between the main recreational resource nodes has fully utilized provincial roads, county and township roads, and rural roads, as well as transportation resources in Ning’an. How- ever, integration is still required to connect existing water bodies, valleys, ridges, and other relatively stable tourism environmental resources.

4.2. Disadvantages of the Spatial Network Structure The shortcomings of the spatial network structure are mainly associated with the connection of regional clusters, secondary tourism flow expansion, and resource cooper- Land 2021, 10, 427 ation. In Ning’an, the main limitations are as follows: 12 of 16 (1) Unbalanced dominance among clusters At present, the network structure is divided into four clusters; however, weak links remain,the Jingpoas in the Lake fringe core grouparea. andResources Bohai State with Shangjing a high network site group control are adjacent, ability they and do corridors not form a spatial driving mode. In contrast, the main urban area has a strong ability to with high tourism flow rates are concentrated in each group. Therefore, the connections dominate the tourism resource network space. Based on the control and control ability of mustthe be two balanced core resources, among the the construction clusters. ofThe a rural network tourism structure network is can more be suitable fragmented for the by en- hancingparadigm the connectivity coordination ofof multicore network control tourism and flows balanced (Figure control 11). inNing’an.

Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 15

of the two core resources, the construction of a rural tourism network is more suitable for the paradigmFigure Figure11. Analysiscoordination 11. Analysis on the on thedevelopmentof developmentmulticore of ofcont core core rol elements and in balancedin the the network network control structure structure ofin Ning’an. Ning’an. of Ning’an.

(2) Limited secondary resource space expansion The agglomeration and diffusion present a pattern of overall dispersion with a partial concentration, thus forming the core nodes and realizing the radiation of the tourism value throughout the entire region. However, secondary resource nodes are distributed in scattered clusters, resulting in a dumbbell-shaped spatial structure. If construction con- tinues based on this trend, the regional spatial layout and development mode will become increasingly unbalanced, and it will restrict the formation of a spatial network pattern. (3) Lack of coordinated space development In the analysis of tourism network relationship, the lack of spatial connection is a common problem. To address this problem, we propose the direction of spatial solution (Figure 12). The construction scale of the tourism industry, with Jingpo Lake scenic area as the core, has increased, while the phenomena of functional duplication and industrial Figure 12. AnalysisFigureisomorphism of 12. developmentAnalysis of development have characteristics become characteristics more and serious. andspatial spatial control From control a structurestructure spatial thread. distributionthread. perspective, although the Jingpo Lake core group and Bohai State Shangjing site group are adjacent, they 4.3. Structural Optimization Direction 4.3. Structural Optimizationdo not form Direction a spatial driving mode. In contrast, the main urban area has a strong ability to dominateNetwork the tourism evaluation resource is key to network providing space. guidance Based for on the the optimization control and of acontrol rural ability Network evaluationtourism is key network to providing structure, and guidance its results for can the be optimization applied to other of regions. a rural It tour- mainly ism network structure,includes and theits structureresults developmentcan be applied direction, to other network regions. structure equalization,It mainly includes and stability. For Ning’an, improvement must begin with a change in the resource-gathering mode, the structure developmentincluding direction, adding new networkcore clusters structure and optimizing equalization, marginal areas. and stability. For Ning’an, improvement must(1) Enhancing begin with network a change structure in balance the resource-gathering mode, including adding new core clustersSpatial and restructuring optimizing should marginal adjust imbalances areas. in the overall tourism resource sys- (1) Enhancing networktem. The spatialstructure pattern balance can be balanced by optimizing the structural pattern of tourism resources and guiding diffusion elements (Figure 13). This is used to drive the attrac- Spatial restructuringtion of secondaryshould adjust resources imbalances and promote in a balancethe overall in the entire tourism tourism resource resource system.system. The spatial patternAdditionally, can be thebalanced comprehensive by optimizing beneﬁts are the improved, structural including pattern improvements of tourism to the resources and guidingresidential diffusion living elements environment, (Figure landscape 13). quality, This is and used types to of drive entertainment the attraction activities. (2) Improvement to network stability of secondary resources andTo improve promote stability, a balance it is important in the entire to strengthen tourism the resource connection system. in the network Ad- ditionally, the comprehensiveresources and benefits increase theare number improved, of network includin loops.g The improvements balance of allocation to the requires res- a idential living environment,reduction inlandscape the low valley quality, area during and reconstruction.types of entertainment As a “dumbbell” activities. spatial structure (2) Improvementyields to network instability, stability especially in areas outside the “four groups,” we must focus on the loop between the secondary resources and the promotion of the tourism service value in the To improve stability, it is important to strengthen the connection in the network resources and increase the number of network loops. The balance of allocation requires a reduction in the low valley area during reconstruction. As a “dumbbell” spatial structure yields instability, especially in areas outside the “four groups,” we must focus on the loop between the secondary resources and the promotion of the tourism service value in the branch ends (Figure 14), which is an effective technique for breaking through the existing network structure.

(a) (b) Figure 13. Transformation of the network structure and organization mode: (a) overall dispersion with a partial concentration and (b) overall concentration with a partial dispersion. Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 15

of the two core resources, the construction of a rural tourism network is more suitable for the paradigm coordination of multicore control and balanced control in Ning’an.

Figure 12. Analysis of development characteristics and spatial control structure thread.

4.3. Structural Optimization Direction Network evaluation is key to providing guidance for the optimization of a rural tourism network structure, and its results can be applied to other regions. It mainly includes the structure development direction, network structure equalization, and stability. For Ning’an, improvement must begin with a change in the resource-gathering mode, including adding new core clusters and optimizing marginal areas. (1) Enhancing network structure balance Spatial restructuring should adjust imbalances in the overall tourism resource system. The spatial pattern can be balanced by optimizing the structural pattern of tourism resources and guiding diffusion elements (Figure 13). This is used to drive the attraction of secondary resources and promote a balance in the entire tourism resource system. Ad- ditionally, the comprehensive benefits are improved, including improvements to the residential living environment, landscape quality, and types of entertainment activities. (2) Improvement to network stability To improve stability, it is important to strengthen the connection in the network resources and increase the number of network loops. The balance of allocation requires a Land 2021, 10, 427 reduction in the low valley area during reconstruction. As a “dumbbell” spatial13 of 16 structure yields instability, especially in areas outside the “four groups,” we must focus on the loop between the secondary resources and the promotion of the tourism service value in the branchbranch ends ends (Figure (Figure 14), 14), which which is anan effective effective technique technique for breaking for breaking through through the existing the existing network structure. network structure.

(a) (b) Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 13 of 15 Figure 13.Figure Transformation 13. Transformation of the of network the network struc structureture and and organizationorganization mode: mode: (a) overall (a) overall dispersion dispersion with a partial with concentra- a partial concentration andtion (b and) overall (b) overall concentration concentration with with a a partial partial dispersion. dispersion.

(a) (b) FigureFigure 14. Transformation 14. Transformation of ofthe the network network structurestructure multipole multipole core core equilibrium equilibrium structure: structure: (a) existing (a) spatialexisting structure spatial and structure and (b) multi(b) multi-core-core structure structure transformation. transformation.

5. 5.Conclusions Conclusions We introduced the resource spatial dominance relationship method to evaluate tourism We introduced the resource spatial dominance relationship method to evaluate tour- spatial network patterns, as this approach facilitates resource characteristic analysis and ismstructure spatial evaluation, network thuspatterns, promoting as this empirical approach network facilitates optimization. resource Through characteristic quantita- analysis andtive structure analysis and evaluation, directed network thus promoting calculation, empirical the tourism network resource optimization. nodes and corridors Through quan- titativewere abstracted. analysis and The scopedirected of the network resource calculation, control ability the characterized tourism resource the relationship nodes and corri- dorsbetween were the abstracted. tourism resources. The scope Ning’an of the was resource selected as control an example ability for classifying characterized tourism the relation- resource elements classiﬁcation and network evaluation. For the study area, we identiﬁed ship between the tourism resources. Ning’an was selected as an example for classifying a network connection problem with the tourism resource elements and determined the tourismdirection resource of the structure elements optimization. classification and network evaluation. For the study area, we identified a network connection problem with the tourism resource elements and determined the direction of the structure optimization. We demonstrated that analysis of the resource control ability can not only quantify the connection between tourism resources but also present the flow direction in the network. Therefore, this method allows for a more in-depth quantitative analysis of the spatial characteristics and development trends of a rural tourism networks in terms of the connection mode of key tourism resources, definition of the network structure through spatial layout, and analysis of the resource link ability. The study findings provide a reference for evaluating and constructing tourism network spaces. Consequently, regional tourism resources in various international rural areas can be reorganized, enhancing the vitality of rural tourism. The reorganization of tourism resources in rural areas worldwide can also promote regional economy. Many rural areas are experiencing rapid urbanization, which has yielded economic growth but has also caused spatial structure imbalances. This study provides an effective way to accelerate the integration of regional tourism resources by providing the calculation method of resource reorganization, and promotion method of tourism resource balance. Using the study findings as a reference, we can effectively explore the tourism network valleys and provide optimization suggestions for marginal network areas with a low resource utilization rate.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, X.J. and H.Z. (Hongyu Zhao); methodology, X.J.; software, X.J. and X.S.; validation, X.J., X.S., and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang); formal analysis, X.J.; investigation, X.J. and X.S.; resources, X.J.; data curation, X.J.; writing—original draft preparation, X.J.; writing—review and editing, X.J., X.S., and H.Z. (Hongyu Zhao); visualization, X.J.; supervision, X.J. and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang); project administration, X.J. and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang). All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This study was funded by the National Social Science Fund of China project “Research on the Excavation and Protection of the Ecological Wisdom and Cultural Heritage in Traditional Vil- lages of Northern China” (grant number 16BH130). Land 2021, 10, 427 14 of 16

We demonstrated that analysis of the resource control ability can not only quantify the connection between tourism resources but also present the flow direction in the network. Therefore, this method allows for a more in-depth quantitative analysis of the spatial characteristics and development trends of a rural tourism networks in terms of the connection mode of key tourism resources, definition of the network structure through spatial layout, and analysis of the resource link ability. The study findings provide a reference for evaluating and constructing tourism network spaces. Consequently, regional tourism resources in various international rural areas can be reorganized, enhancing the vitality of rural tourism. The reorganization of tourism resources in rural areas worldwide can also promote regional economy. Many rural areas are experiencing rapid urbanization, which has yielded economic growth but has also caused spatial structure imbalances. This study provides an effective way to accelerate the integration of regional tourism resources by providing the calculation method of resource reorganization, and promotion method of tourism resource balance. Using the study findings as a reference, we can effectively explore the tourism network valleys and provide optimization suggestions for marginal network areas with a low resource utilization rate.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, X.J. and H.Z. (Hongyu Zhao); methodology, X.J.; software, X.J. and X.S.; validation, X.J., X.S., and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang); formal analysis, X.J.; investigation, X.J. and X.S.; resources, X.J.; data curation, X.J.; writing—original draft preparation, X.J.; writing—review and editing, X.J., X.S., and H.Z. (Hongyu Zhao); visualization, X.J.; supervision, X.J. and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang); project administration, X.J. and H.Z. (Haoran Zhang). All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This study was funded by the National Social Science Fund of China project “Research on the Excavation and Protection of the Ecological Wisdom and Cultural Heritage in Traditional Villages of Northern China” (grant number 16BH130). Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable. Data Availability Statement: Not applicable. Conﬂicts of Interest: The authors declare no conﬂict of interest.

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