of spatial analysis technology of GIS as well as Geodetector are proposed to identify the spatial distribution and influencing factors of national A-level tourist attractions in Shanxi Province from 2001 to 2017, based on data from tourism administration network, Geospatial Data Cloud, government reports and statistical yearbooks. These influencing factors include socio-political factor (including related policies, resident population and traffic conditions), economic-industrial factor (including the proportion of three industries, tourism income and GDP) and natural environmental factor (including altitude, river system and average temperature). The results show that: (1) Dynamic factors, such as socio-political factor as well as economic-industrial factor, changed greatly, while static factors, such as natural environment factor, changed little; (2) Nine third-level influencing factors affected the spatial distribution of national A-level tourist attractions in Shanxi to different degrees, five of which, including related policies, resident population, traffic conditions, tourism income and GDP, were continuously strengthened from 2001 to 2017, while the proportion of three industries decreased in a fluctuating way. For the rest of third-level influencing factors, i.e. altitude, river system and average temperature, their influence on the spatial distribution of national A-level tourist attractions in the province remained relatively stable. (3) With respect of the evolution of national A-level tourist attractions in Shanxi from 2001 to 2017, the extent of impacts of the socio-political factor, one of the second-level factors, increased year by year and the factor became the most important, followed by the economic-industrial factor, while the natural environmental factor had the minimum influence. The results can provide a strong support for assessing and guiding the overall development of regional tourism, promoting the development of tourism, and providing a scientific method to optimize the spatial structure of tourist attractions and tourism industry upgrading.