This study established an evaluation index system for the development level of the digital economy and the efficiency of cultural and tourism integration. By using empirical methods such as benchmark regression analysis, it conducted an empirical analysis of relevant data from eight provinces, autonomous regions and areas including Shandong Province from 2015 to 2023, exploring the internal mechanism by which the digital economy promotes cultural and tourism integration in Shandong Province. The results show that the digital economic development level and the efficiency and effect of cultural and tourism integration in eight provinces and regions including Shandong Province are good, but there is a gap between Shandong Province and provinces such as Henan Province and Guangdong Province. The tourism industry in eight provincial regions has a relatively high promoting efficiency for the cultural industry, but the cultural industry has a relatively low promoting efficiency for the tourism industry. Based on the analysis of empirical results, this study proposes countermeasures and suggestions for further enhancing the integration efficiency of the digital economy and the cultural tourism industry from the perspectives of collaborative mechanisms, the cultivation of compound talents, stimulating the vitality of the main body, and safeguard measures.

Xiu Li, Hongxia Dong, Xia Wang. Empirical Analysis of the Internal Mechanism of Digital Economy to Facilitate the Integration of Culture and Tourism in Shandong Province. Academic Journal of Business & Management (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 7: 181-190. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJBM.2025.070724.

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