Urban Tour ism Flow Network Structure Construction in Nanjing
南京市旅游流网络结构构建

This study presents a quantitative method for investigating the network characteristics of urban tourism by the network analysis, which offers numerous techniques and indicators through measuring the links among nodes to demonstrate the structural patterns of connected systems. The indicators measuring network analysis include centrality, structural holes, size, density, centralization, diameter of tourism network and core-periphery model. Then, this article empirically tested a sample of urban tourists taken from 16 tourism nodes in Nanjing city. For every tourism node, there is tourist centralization and decentralization link with 5.19 other nodes in average. Averagely, every tourism node acts as intermediary number of times being 6.07. Mutual connection is comparatively intense between the tourism nodes. But, distribution is somewhat uneven between every tourism node. Qinhuai Scenic Zones, Zhongshan Hill Scenic Area, Xinjiekou tourism district, Presidential Palace Scenic Area, the Memorial Hall of the Vicitims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese invaders lie in core. These nodes have high level of structural holes, which are situated in non-substitutable locations with connections spanning different sub-groups of nodes and with opportunities to broker the flow of tourists among other nodes. However, they are likely to cause a severe bottleneck of tourist flows. In all, density of tourism network is not very high (0.35), there being obvious stratified structure. Density between tourism nodes in the inside of the core area has reached 0.81, having formed the strong centre-line-type structure. Based on the structural characteristics relating to its network position on various touring routes, this article suggests the appropriate tourist facilities and services of each particular destination. Finally, according to Dianne Dredge's (1999) tourism location theory, Nanjing urban tourism structure belongs to multi-nodes location modeling and development stage.