Tourism-driven Commodification of Island Landscapes: An Actor-Network Analysis of Dynamic Mechanisms in Guanglu Island, China

The complex relationship between humans and nature plays a key role in shaping geographic landscapes. This study examines how tourism transforms island landscapes into marketable commodities, focusing on Guanglu Island in China from 2002–2025 through the lens of Actor-Network Theory (ANT). The findings reveal three main insights: 1) commodification involves reimagining natural landscapes, digitizing them for broader appeal, and integrating them into tourist consumption. 2) This process reshapes original landscapes into four interconnected forms: material landscapes, fluid landscapes, virtual landscapes, and psychological landscapes. 3) Multiple actors drive commodification: the island’s natural conditions provide foundation and influence concrete ways of commodification, local government is deeply involved through planning and regulating tourism development, tourism practitioners adapt services to market demands, and tourist preferences guide the direction of commercialization. By analyzing the roles of both human and non-human actors, this research highlights how tourism redefines island landscapes while emphasizing the active influence of nature itself in these transformations. The findings reveal the geographical attributes of landscape commodification process and the multidimensionality and complexity of its impacts, thereby providing valuable insights for the sustainable development of island tourism.