This paper uses provincial panel data from 2005 to 2017 to measure the carbon footprint of China's tourism industry, and based on an extended mixing model, explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the tourism industry and analyzes the key influencing factors of China's tourism industry carbon footprint. The results indicate that, firstly, the carbon footprint of China's tourism industry has increased approximately threefold over the study period, with an average annual growth rate of 12.25%. The total carbon footprint has exhibited a steady upward trend over time and a pattern of increasing, then decreasing, and subsequently increasing from west to east spatially. Secondly, there is an environmental Kuznets curve relationship between the carbon footprint of China's tourism industry and economic growth. Thirdly, the energy structure and industrial structure of the tourism industry have a significant positive impact on the carbon footprint of tourism, while technological progress does not demonstrate a green effect within the industry. Fourthly, there is significant regional and sectoral heterogeneity in the influencing factors of China's tourism industry carbon footprint, with varying driving factors across different regions and sectors. The conclusions of this study offer valuable insights for the formulation of low-carbon development strategies for the tourism industry.