An Analysis on Spatial-temporal Characteristics of Tourism Economy Difference inSichuan

Based on the data concerning the domestic tourism income from 21 prefecture-level cities of Sichuan province, by use of the quantitative statistical methods like the standard deviation, the variation coefficient and the Theil coefficient, and in combination with the ArcGIS software spatial analysis tools, the time change trend of regional tourism economy of Sichuan province and spatial variation characteristics were put under examination. The results show that:(1)An absolute difference of regional tourism economy in Sichuan province is found to be expanding, while the relative difference is decreasing; In the province, the regional tourism economy difference between the prefecture-level cities is far greater than that between the 5 major economic zones or that between the inner parts of every economic zone and the three indices are declining over time, and the balance of the tourism economic development is on a gradual increase.(2)The tourism economy map of Sichuan province is roughly with a stronger North and a weaker south and from the north to the south, it first takes an upward increase and then follows a downward decrease; yet in the east-west direction, an everlasting trend is found to be a first upgoing trend and then a downward decrease.(3)the polarized space differentiation pattern is found obvious in regards to the regional tourism economy in Sichuan province, and a continuous gradient difference is observed; the diffusion effect of the provincial capital cities is emerging, and the tourism growth poles centered on the provincial capital are gradually taken shape.