Digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry is of great significance for driving the growth of a modern industrial system, accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, and achieving high-quality economic development. Considering the conceptual connotation and essential characteristics of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry, in this article, the internal logic of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry is analyzed. It clarifies that the essential characteristics of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry are reflected in the innovative development of cultural and tourism resources driven by data elements, the immersive innovation of digital technologies embedded in cultural and tourism products, and the intelligent construction of cultural and tourism formats supported by digital platforms. The historical logic of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry is outlined in the evolution from the nascent to development to the acceleration stages. Based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) theoretical framework of “digital technologies as the foundation, industrial organization as the main body, and development environment as the guarantee,” the theoretical logic of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry is clarified. Further, the comprehensive promotion of the Chinese path to modernization highlights the advantages of digital economy development, and the growing need for a better life demonstrates the practical logic of digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry. Finally, through theoretical thinking and path references, the article proposes directions for accelerating digital transformation in the cultural and tourism industry through enhancing the fundamental role of digital technologies, strengthening the main role of industrial organizations, and optimizing the guarantee role of the development environment.

In the era of the digital economy, information infrastructure, as an important part of the new infrastructure, has a profound impact on tourism economy. Based on panel data from 2006 to 2019 of 59 key tourism cities in China, this study considers the “Broadband China” pilot cities as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the difference-in-difference model to evaluate the impact of information infrastructure on the development of tourism economy in these cities. Information infrastructure was found to promote the development of tourism economy, a finding that remained valid after a robustness test. The mediating effect analysis showed that information infrastructure promotes the development of tourism economy by enhancing urban innovation ability and upgrading industrial structure. The heterogeneity test showed that the promotion effect of information infrastructure on tourism economy varies by geographical location and city status, as highlighted in the eastern cities and non-provincial capital cities. Additionally, information infrastructure has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on the development of tourism economy in neighboring cities. These findings provide direction for policymakers to ensure optimal use of information infrastructure to promote the development of tourism economy.

With accelerating digital transformation, innovation has emerged as the core driver sustaining the development of exhibition enterprises. However, existing research predominantly focuses on traditional innovation mechanisms, with insufficient attention paid to the impact of the organizational innovation climate on ambidextrous innovation amid the digitalization of the exhibition industry. Therefore, grounded in the theory of ambidextrous innovation, in this study, an analytical model is constructed, incorporating digital empowerment, and the effects of organizational innovation climate on ambidextrous innovation and innovation performance are empirically examined. The findings reveal that organizational innovation climate (1) exerts a significantly positive impact on corporate innovation performance; (2) influences innovation performance through the mediating role of ambidextrous innovation; and (3) its relationship with ambidextrous innovation is positively moderated by digital empowerment. Specifically, (a) analytical capability strengthens the positive effect of organizational support on exploitative innovation; (b) connectivity capability significantly moderates the relationship between team collaboration and exploitative innovation; but (c) intelligent capability does not demonstrate a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between autonomous work and exploratory innovation, as well as autonomous work and exploitative innovation. This study extends the application of ambidextrous innovation in the digital context and provides theoretical support and practical insights for enterprises in the exhibition industry and other relevant sectors to foster an innovation climate, enhance digital capabilities, and boost innovation performance.

Rural tourism is an important way to realize rural revitalization. University students starting businesses in rural tourism promote industry development and rural revitalization. Based on the theory of entrepreneurial resource endowment, parents’socio-economic status is considered a moderator and entrepreneurial self-efficacy toward rural tourism is considered a mediator in this study to construct a relationship model between university students’resource endowment and entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism. A questionnaire survey on university students provided 321 valid responses for data analysis. Structural equation modeling revealed that family support and psychological capital for entrepreneurship in rural tourism are positively related to entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy of rural tourism was found to mediate the relationship between (a) family support for entrepreneurship in rural tourism and entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism, and (b) psychological capital for entrepreneurship in rural tourism and entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism. Parents’ socio-economic status was found to modulate the mediation of entrepreneurial self-efficacy of rural tourism on the relationship between family support and entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism and psychological capital and entrepreneurial intention in rural tourism.

Tourism area life cycle theory plays an important role in promoting high-quality development of tourist destinations of different types and in different stages of development. This study focused on the research results of the life cycle theory of tourism destinations at home and abroad. Using CiteSpace software, 699 relevant Chinese and English articles were retrieved, collected, and screened from CNKI and Web of Science databases for visual analysis, and the existing research results were systematically reviewed. The analysis revealed the following: (1) A large difference was observed in the number of papers published in Chinese and English. Unlike the general trend of a decrease in China, international research on the life cycle theory of tourist destinations has been peaking since the beginning of the 21st century, with an unprecedented high attained in 2022. Internationally, scholars from China, Spain, and Italy have published the maximum number of articles in English. (2) Huge differences were found in terms of research hotspots at home and abroad. Domestic research focuses on concept clarification, influencing factors, stage determination, tourism development, and operation strategy exploration, while international studies pay more attention to the regeneration and transformation of tourism destinations, sustainable development with ecological protection as the core, and new tourism business formats. (3) International studies are relatively diversified in terms of subjects, research methods, and disciplinary perspectives. Finally, combining classical views and the characteristics of current tourism research, future research directions of tourism destination life cycle theory are proposed.