Abstract The development of low-carbon economy in tourism is consistent with the implementation of tourism industry ecology in essence. The key of the development of low-carbon economy in tourism industrial is constructing and operating the tourism ecosystem. The core of tourism industry ecology is the tourism systematic ecology, which means we should imitate natural ecological system to build tourism industrial ecological system. The aim of the construction of the tourism industrial ecosystem is to establish an industrial network of ‘resources-products-renewable resources’ which is composed of the enterprises and industries from the tourism industrial system as well as a closed circulate network which can balance the input and output of materials and energy sources in the tourism industrial system. The tourism industrial ecology is a gradual process in which the characteristic of anti-ecological becomes weak and the ecological characteristic becomes distinct. So the tourism industry is brought into the material circulatory system of eco-system. The core of ‘low-carbon tourism’ is that developing the low-carbon economy, innovating low-carbon technologies and changing the development pattern. Therefore, the carbon dioxide emissions will be minimized. Low-carbon tourism is a model of new technical economy which requires the enterprises in tourism industry optimize the use structure of energy, control the pollution. Finally, the authors conclude that low carbon tourism as a new developing mode is a strategic choice and an important way to enhance tourism industrial ecology, which makes the sustainable development of tourism industry possible. Also, the authors put forward some strategies to promote the tourism industrial ecology. (1) The strategy of product-oriented production. (2) The strategy of environment management. (3) The strategy of extending producers' responsibility. (4) The strategy of environment ethics oriented development. (5) The strategy of the application of science and technology.
2010, Vol. 25 
