{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T09:03:24Z","timestamp":1785402204164,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777334400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Ministry of Education","award":["24YJC790218"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24YJC790218"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012456","name":"National Social Science Fund of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["23CJL025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23CJL025"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012456","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Ningbo University of Finance & Economics","award":["1320263204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1320263204"]}]},{"award":["1320263204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1320263204"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0085x3f43","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study investigates the interaction and coordinated development of the digital economy and the tourism economy in China\u2019s Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, using panel data from 27 cities covering the period from 2013 to 2022. Methods: Composite indices are constructed for the two subsystems, with indicator weights determined using the entropy method. A coupling coordination model is then applied to assess the extent and quality of their joint development. Exploratory spatial data analysis is further employed to examine spatial dependence and clustering patterns, with Moran\u2019s I serving as a key analytical measure. Results: The findings indicate that both subsystems improved over the study period, although the digital economy advanced more quickly and showed greater regional disparity. The overall coordination level rose from a medium stage to a relatively high stage, yet uneven development persisted, particularly in Anhui. Spatially, coordination followed an east-high, west-low pattern, and high-level areas gradually spread outward from leading cities to form a core\u2013periphery structure. Positive spatial clustering was evident in most years, pointing to clear regional agglomeration in digital\u2013tourism coordination. Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of differentiated regional policies, stronger inter-city collaboration, and deeper integration between digital development and tourism transformation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems14050478","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T07:43:51Z","timestamp":1777448631000},"page":"478","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Breaking Silos: System Coupling of the Digital and Tourism Economies in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Jinge","family":"Yao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for RCEP Member States, Ningbo University of Finance & Economics, Ningbo 315175, China"},{"name":"Ningbo Philosophy and Social Science Key Research Base \u201cResearch Base on Digital Economy Innovation and Linkage with Hub Free Trade Zones\u201d, Ningbo 315175, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4896-5912","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guanghui","family":"Qiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Modern Business Research Center, Academy of Zhejiang Cultural Industry Innovation & Development, School of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China"},{"name":"Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Macau 999078, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yali","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for RCEP Member States, Ningbo University of Finance & Economics, Ningbo 315175, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2548-6479","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mingjie","family":"Fang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4155-4013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Qiwei","family":"Pang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for RCEP Member States, Ningbo University of Finance & Economics, Ningbo 315175, China"},{"name":"Ningbo Philosophy and Social Science Key Research Base \u201cResearch Base on Digital Economy Innovation and Linkage with Hub Free Trade Zones\u201d, Ningbo 315175, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"496","article-title":"Exploring the Impact of Digital Economy on Tourism Employment","volume":"16","author":"Cheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. 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