With the rapid development of China’s tourism industry in recent years, a substantial amount of existing assets has gradually accumulated. This article employs the DEMATEL method to examine eleven factors influencing China’s stock of inefficient tourism assets. The research identifies four key findings: (1) Economic and social development is a primary driver behind the accumulation of tourism industry assets; (2) Financial mechanisms play a significant role in promoting tourism investment; (3) Attracting investment can enhance asset operation and management capabilities; (4) Strategies such as mergers and acquisitions and issuing REITs can optimize the allocation of tourism industry resources, fostering the high-quality development of the sector.Please be aware that your name and affiliation and if applicable those of your co-author(s) will be published as presented in this proof. If you want to make any changes, please correct the details now. Please note that after publication corrections won’t be possible. Due to data protection we standardly publish professional email addresses, but not private ones, even if they have been provided in the manuscript and are visible in this proof. If you or your co-author(s) have a different preference regarding the publication of your mail address(s) please indicate this clearly. If no changes are required for your name(s) and affiliation(s) and if you agree with the handling of email addresses, please respond with “Ok”.Due to their contribution to this study, one of the authors has been replaced. I have accordingly made the necessary changes in the article.