Abstract The impact of human-related activities on the eco-environment of tourist destinations is an important part of recreation ecology research. However, traditional studies have mainly concentrated on the static influences upon the simple factors of soil or vegetation in tourist destinations, and the relationship between anthropogenic disturbances and landscape patterns is little understood. In this study, we constructed a disturbance model on a landscape scale to identify and quantify the main anthropogenic disturbances. The overall variation coefficient (OVC) index is defined as the intensity of different disturbance sources, and landscape structure analysis methods are used for temporal and spatial differentiation, which is applied in the Li River Basin, China. Three typical types of human-related activities are identified as possible anthropogenic disturbance sources in the region, and their notable influential spheres are determined. Then, the dynamic changes in tourism disturbance in two periods and the spatial distribution characteristics related to three factors are explored. The results suggest that settlement and tourism disturbances have exerted considerable impacts on landscape patterns, and the differentiation characteristics are closely related to local tourism development policies and patterns. The disturbance model could be applied in other tourism destinations and provide countermeasures for regional tourism management.