Developing an evaluation index system for low-carbon tourist attractions in China – A case study examining the Xixi wetland

The field of low-carbon tourism is starting to be explored in China. Low-carbon tourism is an approach to the sustainable development of tourism that is associated with a low-carbon economy. The core value of low-carbon tourism is to provide a high-quality tourism experience that ensures that low carbon emissions and a decrease in pollution are associated with transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment. The use of low-carbon evaluation indexes for tourist attractions will help to encourage widespread low-carbon tourism. This paper, using the Xixi wetland as a case study, empirically examines an evaluation index system for low-carbon tourism attractions and extends previous research on low-carbon tourism.

► We examine the low-carbon evaluation indexes for tourist attractions with Xixi wetland as a case study. ► We use Delphi method and AHP to build an evaluation index system for low-carbon tourist attractions. ► The establishment of low-carbon evaluation index system helps to encourage low-carbon tourism.