Tourism Industry Development and Urban Livability: Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Impact Mechanisms in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China

Tourism industry development has become an important driver of regional economic transformation and urban functional restructuring, while urban livability is a key indicator of high-quality urban development and residents’ well-being. However, the spatially heterogeneous and cross-regional effects of tourism development on urban livability remain insufficiently understood. This study examines 28 cities in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China, from 2000 to 2024. Using kernel density estimation, a two-way fixed effects model, and a spatial Durbin model (SDM), this study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution, spatial spillover effects, and moderating mechanisms of tourism industry development on urban livability. The results show that both tourism industry development and urban livability exhibit significant spatial disparities. Tourism industry development enhances local urban livability, while generating negative spillover effects on neighboring cities, indicating a spatially asymmetric “local gain-neighbor suppression” pattern. Public service provision and infrastructure connectivity amplify the positive effects of tourism development on urban livability. These findings highlight that tourism-led improvements in urban livability are spatially uneven and conditioned by regional development capacity. The study contributes to understanding tourism-livability interactions at the urban agglomeration scale and provides implications for coordinated regional governance. However, this study cannot fully capture micro-level transmission mechanisms due to limitations.