Analyzing energy utilization influence on tourism and low-carbon development: Insights from Xianju National Park in China

National parks are rare natural resources that provide refuges for wildlife, harmonious ecology, and leisure activities. These protected areas, which include a variety of ecosystems, habitats for wildlife, and geological wonders, have been set aside to preserve and highlight the beauty of the natural world. Under the goals of carbon neutrality of all countries in the world, it is urgently need to pay attention to the relationship between climate change and protected natural resources. This study uses the Xianju pilot national park as an example to identify key activities that increase carbon absorptions and reduce carbon emissions, calculate the carbon sink of national park construction, and discuss whether tourism industry can achieve low carbon or even negative emissions based on the analysis of low-carbon measures of national parks. Using the Mento-Carlo method, we find that the total carbon sink in Xianju National Park is around 70832–97930 tons CO2, which accounts for about 10 % of Xianju County's total carbon emissions. This illustrates that the development of tourism has indeed brought benefits to the low carbon development of Xianju National Park. From the perspective of stakeholders, this paper also summarizes the stakeholders, relevant actions and policy tools for Xianju National Park to carry out low-carbon tourism. Finally, compared with the development experience of national parks in France and the United States, this paper gives policy suggestions on low-carbon development of Xianju National Park, and proposes to mobilize stakeholders to participate in low-carbon tourism and low-carbon governance. •The study evaluates energy utilization strategy for carbon absorption and reduction in Xianju National Park, with84,598 tonnes CO2 carbon sink.•Findings showcase how tourism development within the park has contributed to its low-carbon trajectory.•The research emphasizes the importance of energy utilization in fostering low-carbon governance and tourism initiatives within national parks.