Destinations formulate their tourism development strategies based on a number of factors, including tourism spillover effects. Using data from 98 administrative cities in Eastern China from 2004 to 2012 and spatial modelling techniques, this study examines the spillover effect of attractions, including natural, cultural and man-made attractions. The spillover effect refers to the impact attractions in the regions surrounding a specific destination have on tourist arrivals at that destination. The results show that, although the spatial substitution effect exists among the same type of attractions in adjacent regions, the size of this effect is too low to counteract the positive spillover effect of attractions. This study advances research on spillover phenomena in the tourism field and supports the strategy of interregional tourism collaboration centred on attractions.