Towards a better understanding of the relationships between tourism involvement and place attachment: evidence from rural tourism destinations in China

Abstract

Involvement theory and place attachment theory have been widely applied to the research of tourism products. However, the two theories were analysed separately, which limited our understanding of product development in travel and tourism. By integrating perspectives from both involvement theory and place attachment theory, this paper investigated three rural tourism destinations in Guangzhou, China. Results showed that tourists’ involvement in rural tourism had different levels of influences on place attachment. The research advanced tourism product development theories by providing a better understanding of the relationships between tourism involvement and place attachment. Practically, the research provided implications for tourism destinations and marketers in rural tourism product development.