Spatiotemporal Distribution Pattern of Tourist Population in Motuo,Xizang in 2024

Wang Xingxing; Zhao Wanglin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-3403.2025.11.005

Abstract：Located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River canyon,Motuo County in Xizang boasts a complete vertical ecosystem and rich biodiversity.The unique natural landscape blends with traditional culture of Monba and Lhoba ethnic groups,creating highly valuable tourist resources.With the advancement of hydropower development of Yarlung Zangbo,growth in the ecological hydropower tourism will promote tourism expansion in Motuo from a single sightseeing model to diversified ones,such as ecological experience and cultural heritage,pro-viding new impetus for sustainable regional development.However,due to limitation in data acquisition,there is currently a lack of analytical research on the spatiotemporal distribution of tourists in Motuo.Based on tourist regis-tration forms from Guoguotang scenic spot,this study has compiled tourist data for Motuo in 2024 and employs spa-tiotemporal analysis method to systematically examine the spatialtemporal differentiation pattern and dynamic evo-lution characteristics of tourist flows.The results show that the tourist market in Motuo presents a composite spatial structure characterized by overall dispersion and local concentration.It has a wide range of tourist sources through-out the year and a geographical concentration index of 21.79.Sichuan,as a neighboring province,serves as a persis-tent core market throughout the year.In March and November,significant clustering effect is observed in Guang-dong Province and within Xizang Autonomous Region,respectively.Temporally,tourist distribution exhibits a multi-level temporal structure characterized by climate-driven baseline,holiday-induced peaks and traffic-control-induced intraday fluctuation,forming a composite temporal pattern defined by warm-season baseline,holiday peaks and du-al-high-single-low periodic cycle(high traffic flow,high risk and low efficiency).Further analysis indicate that key events such as March Peach Blossom Festival and September pre-National Day period has significantly extended the spatial appeal radium of Motuo and has strengthened its capacity to attract mid-to long-distance tourists.At the same time,a strong coupling is observed between the age structure of tourists and their spatiotemporal behaviors,with different demographic groups dominating across seasons,influenced by holiday schedules and climatic prefer-ences,collectively shaping the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the tourism market in Motuo.This study has deep-ened the understanding of tourist flow dynamics in peripheral plateau destinations and offers a theoretical founda-tion for regional tourism regulation and market optimization.