Redai dili (Mar 2021)
The Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of the Interdependence between the Air Passenger Industry and Regional Economy in the Yangtze River Delta
Abstract
Based on 2005-2018 statistical data, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal dimensions of the interaction between the air passenger industry and the regional economy in the Yangtze River Delta region. A GW correlation, EOF and spatial correlation analyses are employed as research methods. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. The interaction between individual cities is more intense within a region, and the bond between the air passenger industry and the regional economy is more strong compared to that existing between other regions. However, its direction of influence shows an intrinsic regional heterogeneity, with characteristics that may change over time. The degree of interaction between the air passenger industry and regional economic development in the Yangtze River Delta region presents an inverse "core-periphery" distribution feature, which shows a negative spatial correlation with spatial inhibition. Affected by the Shanghai siphon effect, Nantong, Wuxi, Changzhou and other cities located in the core circle of the Yangtze River Delta have a lower interaction than those in the outer circle such as Huangshan, Quzhou, Xuzhou, Jinhua, and Wenzhou. As cities surrounding the Yangtze River Delta are relatively closer to Shanghai in terms of space, the Shanghai air passenger transport represents an obvious substitute for these cities, and it can provide additional services otherwise impossible to obtain; As far as the temporal dimension is concerned, the degree of interaction of 18 cities in the Yangtze River Delta has been fluctuating from 2005 to 2018. The degree of interaction of cities in the core circle of the Yangtze River Delta is still at a low level, though it has gradually increased. Cities in the peripheral area present divergent characteristics. Interactions in Huangshan and Anqing in Anhui Province, Xuzhou and Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province is generally decreasing, while the degree of interaction in cities such as Wenzhou, Jinhua and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province has been increasing significantly. There is a certain degree of lag in the interaction between the air passenger industry and the regional economic development of the 18 cities in the Yangtze River Delta. In the two years after 2008 and 2012, as the global economic crisis and the slowdown of China's economic growth were experienced, the abovementioned relationship was severely affected, with sudden volatility changes, and a general decrease in the degree of interaction. Compared with changes in the global economic situation, the degree of interaction between the air passenger industry and regional economic development has nevertheless maintained a stronger influence on the slowdown of domestic economic growth. Based on that, we propose the following recommendations: (1)The construction of new airports in the region should not only consider the natural factors of air transportation and the economic characteristics of the city where it is located, but should be positioned after taking into account the context of the entire region. (2) These choices should not simply pursue the evaluation of economic profit, but also comprehensively evaluate the overall social welfare. (3) A coordinated and orderly airline system characterized by its differentiated and special service should be established in order to improve the overall efficiency of the airline transport system, promote coordinated development and make better use of regional advantages within the region.
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