Dynamic Technical Performance Measurement in Rural Tourism

Abstract

With the characteristic of low carbon emission and sustainability, the development of rural tourism becomes one of the key parts to achieve mutual carbon target in Chinese tourism industry. However, previous research on China's rural tourism has largely ignored the quantitative examination of rural tourism initiatives. This paper aims to quantify and measure the efficiency as well as efficiency variation of rural tourism in 25 provinces of China using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist productivity index (MPI). The results reveal that the overall efficiency of rural tourism in China is still low, and there exists an obvious regional difference in rural tourism in China. The result not only identify the leading and following regions in Chinese rural tourism, but also reveal how their position in the group changes over time. This is valuable information for managers having to take strategic and tactical decisions to better achieve the low-carbon and sustainable development of China's tourism industry.