Sustainable Development Of Rural Tourism Research Articles

The Key Success Factor for Sustainable Rural Tourism Development in Madura Using Integration of the IPA-Kano Model

The momentum for the rise of global tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic has become an opportunity for developing local tourism and Indonesia's creative economy. One of the promising tourism regions in Indonesia is Madura. The tourism potentials on the island of Madura are historical, religious, natural, and cultural. Unfortunately, Madura's tourism potential has not been fully utilized, and as a result, the benefits have not emerged to strengthen the Madurese community's economy. In addition, tourism development directions are also partial without looking at environmental sustainability, community welfare, and other social aspects. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the key success factors of sustainable tourism by integrating the Important-Performance Analysis method with the Kano model. This study was conducted in Sampang, Madura, specifically in a tourist village called Bira Tengah. The result of the study is that the tourist village should adopt key success factors such as leading to maintaining the destination environment, improving the contribution of tourists and local communities in area conservation, increasing the competitiveness of tourist destinations, conducting more intensive tourism promotions, creating fun tourism activities, increasing participation of the community and stakeholders of tourist villages, using local and environmentally friendly materials, improving the cleanliness of destinations, disseminating local cultural information and increasing employment opportunities. The cultural factors are a highlight in improving sustainable tourism performance. In addition, to enhance tourism performance, it needs to benchmark with developed and autonomous tourist villages that have demonstrated success in sustainable tourism.

Challenges of sustainable development of regions and rural tourism in Georgia

The paper discusses the type of rural tourism as an independent direction, especially its importance in the mountainous part of Georgia. This priority direction in regional tourism includes such important aspects as orientation of tourists to the consumption of ecological resources, protection of the natural environment, preservation of traditional lifestyle for the population of peripheral regions. It is confirmed that rural tourism in the modern world is considered by specialists to be the most promising field of employment for the rural population. It should be noted that the development of tourism business in rural areas will contribute to solving socio-economic problems, reducing unemployment and raising the standard of living. The purpose of the study is to reveal the possibilities of rural tourism development in the mountainous areas of Georgia, which will bring the results of sustainable development to the region and the local community.

The Impact of Social Environment Perception on Relative Deprivation among Residents in Rural Tourism Destinations

The sustainable development of rural tourism requires not only active participation from the government and enterprises but is also closely tied to the attitudes of local residents. This study, grounded in the theories of relative deprivation and social comparison, focuses on the residents living near the Jinshi Gorge Scenic Area in Shangluo City. We constructed a structural equation model to explore how residents’ perceptions of the social environment in rural tourism influence their sense of relative deprivation, enhance their happiness, and ultimately promote the sustainable development of rural tourism. The study’s findings reveal the following: (1) that demographic characteristics, including age, education level, and annual income, significantly influence residents’ perceptions of their social environment, particularly their sense of group identity, social support, and feelings of inequality. (2) Levels of relative deprivation vary significantly across different demographic groups. (3) There is a strong positive correlation between individual cognitive relative deprivation and individual emotional relative deprivation. Similarly, group cognitive relative deprivation positively predicts group emotional relative deprivation. (4) Experiences of discrimination, feelings of inequality, and strength of group identity emerge as significant predictors of both individual and group-level cognitive and emotional relative deprivation. (5) Social support has a significant negative effect on individual cognition, individual emotions, group cognition, and group emotional relative deprivation.

Sustainable Spatial Distribution and Determinants of Key Rural Tourism Villages in China: Promoting Balanced Regional Development

Understanding the spatial distribution and sustainable development of rural tourism is essential for promoting balanced regional growth and formulating optimized policy strategies. This study aims to provide insights into sustainable development and policy optimization. Utilizing geographic information system technology, dominance analysis, and Geodetector statistical methods, this research offers a comprehensive examination of the spatial patterns and determinants of these distributions. The findings reveal significant regional disparities and clustering, with a higher concentration of key villages in economically developed eastern and central regions and fewer in the less developed western regions. The dominance analysis highlights that provinces such as Zhejiang, Shandong, and Beijing demonstrate strong advantages across multiple dimensions, including ecological environment, economic development, tourism infrastructure, transportation accessibility, policy support, and social development. Conversely, regions such as Ningxia, Qinghai, and Tibet exhibit lower dominance scores, indicating challenges in rural tourism development due to limited resources and infrastructure. Key influencing factors include forest coverage, GDP per capita, the number of star-rated hotels, transportation network density, policy initiatives, and urbanization rates. The results underscore the importance of a multi-dimensional approach to enhance rural tourism competitiveness and suggest targeted strategies for underperforming regions. This study contributes to advancing the theoretical framework of sustainable rural tourism and provides actionable insights for policymakers to foster balanced regional development, ecological conservation, and community-centered tourism practices.

Coupling Relationship Between Rural Eco-Environment and Tourism Economic Development Based on Data

With the rapid development of economy, the contradiction between the ecological environment and economic development has become increasingly serious. The ecological environment is the foundation and prerequisite for the development of rural tourism, which promotes the rural ecological environment. The coordinated development of the two is of great significance to the sustainable development of rural tourism and the construction of rural ecological civilization. On the basis of combing the existing related research results, by constructing a rural tourism-ecological environment evaluation index system, using a coupling coordination degree evaluation model, this paper makes a comparative analysis of coupling degree and coordinated scheduling. The results show that there are obvious inter-annual differences in the coupling and coordination of rural tourism and the ecological environment in the county, and the overall development trend is positive. However, the coupling degree and coordination between the two is still at a relatively low level.

Evaluation and influencing factors of ecological resilience in tourism villages from farmers’ perspectives: a case study of Chinese minority settlement areas

Rural social-ecological systems have been significantly impacted by the development of rural tourism, creating substantial challenges for the synergistic development of rural ecological restoration and agricultural workers’ household livelihoods. In alignment with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration action plan, it is crucial to understand the ecological resilience of tourism villages from the perspective of farmers to achieve sustainable development. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were conducted in this study to gather livelihood data from farmers in tourism villages in Xiangxi, China, a region primarily inhabited by ethnic minorities. A measurement index system for the ecological resilience of rural tourism was constructed based on the three dimensions: pressure, state, and response. A comprehensive index method was employed for quantitative evaluation, and influencing factors were analyzed using an obstacle model. The results show that farmers’ livelihoods can be divided into four types: tourism-led, labor-led, agriculture-led, and part-time tourism-based. Their ecological resilience indices are 0.4516, 0.4177, 0.4001, and 0.4590, respectively, representing an overall intermediate level. There are differences in various indices for different livelihood types, with the highest stress index observed in labor-led farmers (0.1655), the highest state index in agriculture-led farming households (0.1585), and the highest response index in tourism-led farming households (0.1766). Common obstacles to the ecological resilience of farmers and their villages include the number of family members engaged in tourism work, the area of forest land, and the farmers’ understanding of ecological policies affecting them. Additionally, core family members’ education levels and the area of homesteads emerged as important obstacle factors. Based on these research findings, recommendations are proposed to enhance the ecological resilience of rural farmer households in the tourism villages of ethnic minority areas. The aim is to provide valuable case studies for promoting the sustainable development of rural tourism in underdeveloped regions worldwide.

Efficacy assessments of public artworks intervening in rural built environments for tourism developments: a comparative study of two tourism villages in Hangzhou

ABSTRACT Interventions through rural tourism programs and rural art projects have played a significant role in rural revitalization initiatives in China, wherein public artworks have been deliberately integrated into rural built environments. This study combined both objective and subjective measurements, in two representative tourism villages in Hangzhou that underwent revitalizations. These artworks were strategically placed in the public domains of the villages in two distinct phases, enabling the calculation of their Visual Exposure Rates (VERs). Objective evaluations were gathered on-site via the Comprehensive Assessment of Artworks and Surroundings (CAAS) survey, and the data were subjected to quantitative analysis using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The study reveals differential changes in VERs across the two villages, concurrently observing variations in the CAAS scores. Findings indicate the efficient promotion of fusion design to support sustainable rural tourism in three dimensions: spatial layout characteristics, cultural and aesthetic values, and tourism management practices. It suggested that sustainable rural tourism development should not hinge solely on increasing the quantity of public artworks but rather on the holistic improvement of sustainable spatial design and management to enhance the rural value chain, ensuring a more comprehensive and sustainable tourism experience

Innovative Development of Rural Green Tourism in Ukraine

The purpose of the article was to investigate the potential of rural green tourism in Ukraine and to determine the main directions of its innovative development, taking into account global, national, and regional trends. SLR (Systematic Literature Review), methods of expert assessment, selective observation, and graphic method were used to achieve the set goal. The article analyzes the current state of rural green tourism in Ukraine; the tourism and recreation potential of rural areas of Ukraine was assessed; promising types of innovations that are currently relevant for implementation in the practice of providing services in the field of rural green tourism in Ukraine are defined and grouped; and the impact of global, national, and regional trends on the current stage of activity and further development of rural green tourism in Ukraine is determined. It is determined that in modern economic conditions, rural tourism serves as a stabilizing factor that will contribute not only to maintaining the normal living standards of rural residents, but also to the development of the region’s economy, service infrastructure, household services, and the social sphere. Thus, rural green tourism is the main tool for stimulating the economic and socio-cultural development of rural areas. The results of the assessment of the tourist and recreational potential of rural green tourism of Ukraine showed that the recreational and tourist attractiveness of rural areas is mainly determined by natural and ecological conditions, cultural and historical conditions, and the tourist infrastructure of the region. Financial economic, socio-demographic, and administrative management conditions negatively affect the recreational and tourist attractiveness of rural areas, resulting in the low ability of the rural population to implement innovations. It has been established that in order for the tourist business to be able to quickly adapt to the normal state, it is necessary to introduce innovative types of tourism that will make it possible to attract a larger number of people to the tourist business and establish additional income due to the introduction of innovative offers, new tours, visits to special places, and the entire range of services of the best quality, which will contribute to the accelerated implementation of online forms and digital tools in the provision of tourist services, etc. It has been proven that the introduction of innovations plays an important role in ensuring the sustainable and balanced development of rural tourism in Ukraine, contributing to the creation of new opportunities and improving the quality of tourist services.

Rural Tourism Design Strategy Under The Immersive Experience——A Case Study of Terraced Fields in Qingkou Village, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China

Objective: The objective of this study is to explores the current problems of rural tourism in Yuanyang Turnip Kou through the study of the immersion concept, and its main purpose is to explore the development strategy of rural tourism in Turnip Kou under the immersion concept, and its ultimate goal is to promote the economic Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Immersive experience stand out, providing a solid basis for understanding the context of the investigation. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises case study, and the specific practice and effect of immersive experience in rural tourism improvement are analyzed through interviews and observations. Focus on examining the immersive experience concept, implementation process, participant feedback and impact on local economic, social and cultural development of art projects. Results and Discussion: Combining rural tourism and immersive experience is conducive to creating colorful rural tourism activities and enhancing the interest of tourists in the tourism process. Research Implications: This study provides valuable concept of immersive experience, this paper will analyze the characteristics of immersive experience and the development of tourism in Qingkou Village, and discuss the application method of immersive experience in rural tourism, so as to promote the sustainable development of rural tourism in Qingkou Village in Yuanyang. Originality/Value: This study has great significance to study the design strategy of immersive rural tourism using the terraced fields of Turnip Kou Village in Yuanyang, China as a case study. Combining local culture with the concept of immersive experience, creatively designing rich experience programmes, such as farming interaction and handicraft experience, will deepen tourists' understanding of local culture. Enhance the experience with the help of modern technology, such as virtual reality. This move not only taps into local culture, but also promotes the sustainable development of rural tourism.

Implications of Community Participation for Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism

Implications of Community Participation for Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism

The Post-Effects of the Authenticity of Rural Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourists' Engagement.

Amidst the burgeoning interest in rural Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tourism, this study, anchored in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theoretical framework, chose Meizhou Island in Fujian Province as a case study to examine the impacts of tourists' perceptions of authenticity and their engagement levels on the destination image and loyalty towards rural ICH tourism. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze survey data, findings revealed that higher perceptions of a destination's preservation of original characteristics and traditional values correlate with a more favorable overall perception of the destination, albeit with smaller impact on emotional connections. Conversely, depth of tourist engagement was shown to enhance both understanding and emotional bonds with the destination. Further, familiarity with the destination was found to foster affection, thereby increasing the likelihood of repeat visits or recommendations. The more tourists know about a place, perceiving it as authentic, the more likely they are to remain loyal; similarly, deeper engagement enhances understanding and affection, increasing the probability of revisiting or recommending the place. These outcomes not only offer new insights into tourist behavior but also provide theoretical and practical guidance for the protection and development of rural ICH tourism, destination marketing, and management strategies, thus promoting the sustainable development of rural ICH tourism.

Spatial distribution and influencing factors of rural tourism: A case study of Henan Province

Rural tourism is a powerful way to revitalize the countryside, and its spatial pattern is crucial for sustainable development. This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of rural tourism characteristic villages in Henan Province by taking 723 villages as the research object and using the nearest neighbor index, kernel density analysis, and spatial autocorrelation. It investigates the influencing factors utilizing the optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD) model. The results show that, firstly, the overall spatial distribution of the rural tourism characteristic villages in Henan Province is characterized by aggregation and unbalanced distribution, and the overall spatial distribution density demonstrates the aggregation characteristics of “four cores and one belt”. Secondly, the rural tourism characteristic villages can be divided into four primary categories, agricultural industry, rural culture, and featured villages and towns. The spatial distributions of the four main categories are all clustered. Thirdly, the primary factors affecting the differences in the spatial distribution of the rural tourism characteristic villages are the topographic features, economic development level, tourism market potential, traffic capacity, and relevant policies, among which the critical factor is the number of A-class scenic spots in the tourism market potential. To promote the optimisation of the spatial pattern of rural tourism, it is necessary to strengthen resource integration. Furthermore, it is important to conduct in-depth exploration of more factors in order to provide comprehensive guidance for the sustainable development of rural tourism.

A Study on the Endogenous Dynamics of Rural Tourism Green Development in Yunnan Under the Background of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality

Yunnan Province has abundant rural tourism resources, however, the vigorous development of rural tourism in Yunnan is accompanied by ecological safety risks. Severe tourism pollution restricts the sustainable development of rural tourism in Yunnan. 'Greening' has become the main way for the sustainable development of rural tourism in Yunnan under the background of 'dual carbon'. Based on the 'dual carbon' background and combining the perspectives of 'driving factors for green development' and 'green behavior', this paper deeply analyzes the current situation of 'greening' in rural tourism communities in Yunnan during the process of rural tourism development. Combined with the social network relationships of rural tourism green development communities in Yunnan, the original model is modified. On the basis of social exchange theory and group dynamics, a relationship model between social network environment and participation behavior mechanism is formed. Through this model, the endogenous driving force of rural tourism community residents to participate in green development is explored, and methods and paths to motivate the driving force for green development are sought. Ultimately, it achieves that residents can participate, are willing to participate, and have the ability to participate in all aspects of the green development of rural tourism in Yunnan, promoting the sustainable development of rural tourism and communities in Yunnan.

Perceived Value, Place Identity, and Behavioral Intention: An Investigation on the Influence Mechanism of Sustainable Development in Rural Tourism

Rural tourism has been a hot spot in tourism studies in recent years. This research uses Attitude Theory to investigate the influence mechanism of tourists’ perceived value and place identity on their behavioral intention in rural tourism in Zhejiang Province, China. The study adopts the PLS-SEM method to process the data. The results indicate that tourists’ behavioral intention is positively influenced by their perceived value and place identity. Additionally, perceived value has a positive impact on tourists’ place identity, and place identity plays a positive intermediary role between perceived value and behavioral intention. Meanwhile, cultural value is perceived as having the greatest influence on place identity and behavioral intention. Therefore, rural tourist destinations should focus on cultural value and the tourists’ sense of place to promote sustainable rural tourism development.

Hotspot Identification and Causal Analysis of Chinese Rural Tourism at Different Spatial and Temporal Scales Based on Tourism Big Data

Rural tourism serves as a crucial means for fostering rural economic prosperity and inheriting rural culture. The assessment of the quality of rural tourism development and the identification of disparities in rural tourism development among regions have become focal points in current research. This paper utilizes tourism big data to establish a system for evaluating rural tourism popularity and proposes a method for identifying rural tourism hotspots. The study explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and formation mechanisms of the cold and hot patterns of rural tourism in China during two periods (pre-pandemic and post-pandemic) and on two spatial scales (provincial and municipal levels). The research findings indicate that (1) the annual variation in rural tourism popularity exhibits a fluctuating upward trend, with significant seasonal variations on a monthly basis. (2) The spatial pattern of rural tourism popularity changes with the scale effect. At the provincial level, hotspot areas form an east–west dual-core pattern, while at the municipal level, hotspot areas demonstrate an evolution from a three-core to a four-core pattern. In the post-pandemic era, rural tourism popularity in the northwest and southwest regions is experiencing a counter-trend growth. (3) At different spatiotemporal scales, influencing factors and their impact intensities vary. At the provincial level, road density and reception capacity consistently play dominant roles, and per capita disposable income significantly influences early-stage popularity enhancement. At the municipal level, resident population and tourism resources influence are the dominant factors, and the influence of air quality and regional media attention gradually strengthens. This article provides a new perspective on quantitative research in rural tourism, offering significant guidance for the rational allocation of resources in rural tourism, regional tourism collaboration, and the sustainable development of rural tourism in the post-pandemic era.

How Are Rural Homestays Achieving Sustainable Development in the Post-COVID-19 Period: Value Co-Creation by Operators, Tourists, and Government

The mental fatigue of rural homestay operators is of great significance to their performance as well as the sustainability of the rural tourism industry. Mental fatigue is a state of mind caused by consistently demanding cognitive activities. The mental health of rural homestay operators has been severely hit during the COVID-19, and they are in urgent need of finding a path to recovery. Based on value co-creation theory, this paper explores how rural homestay operators’ mental fatigue affects their performance under the moderating effects of government support and tourists’ participation. We conducted a questionnaire survey in the 19 rural tourist destinations of Nanjing, China, and collected a total of 201 questionnaires from the homestay operators. The results reveal that the operators’ mental fatigue has a negative effect on the performance of rural homestays. What’s more, tourists’ participation could moderate the relationship between operators’ mental fatigue and their performance. Although the moderating effects of government support are not significant, they can influence operators’ performance directly and indirectly. Through the value co-creation of operators, tourists, and government with the aim of improving the performance value of the rural homestay co-creation process, the operators’ mental fatigue could be alleviated and their performance restored. These findings can help us explore the recovery mechanism of rural homestays and promote the sustainable development of rural tourism in the post-COVID-19 period.

How does social entrepreneurship achieve sustainable development goals in rural tourism destinations? The role of legitimacy and social capital

Rural tourism has emerged as a pivotal catalyst for local economic development, particularly in emerging economies. However, sustainable rural tourism development should not solely prioritize economic outcomes but also emphasize social values. Social entrepreneurship underscores both economic and social values, presenting a viable approach to attaining sustainable development goals (SDGs) in rural areas. This study introduces the concepts of legitimacy and social capital to examine how social entrepreneurship achieves SDGs in rural tourism destinations using a case study of Mingyue village in China. The findings suggest that social enterprises establish their legitimacy by effectively navigating institutional complexity while also fostering social capital at the community level, which ultimately facilitates the transition of the community from “low legitimacy-low social capital” to “high legitimacy-high social capital.” Throughout this process, social entrepreneurship promotes individual empowerment and enhances collective efficacy, thereby contributing to achieving SDGs. In essence, this paper constructs a theoretical framework illustrating how social entrepreneurship achieves SDGs while providing valuable insights into exploring the sustainable development of rural tourism driven by such entrepreneurial endeavors.

Governing the Tourism Commons: Can Self-governing Institution Ensure the Continuation of the Rural Tourism Life Cycle?

Rural tourism is regarded as an important development strategy in many countries. However, some rural tourist destinations are facing decline after a period of prosperity. Based on the interaction between local residents involved in rural tourism and the common pool resources on which rural tourism depends, this paper discusses the reasons leading to the unsustainable development of rural tourism and proposes solutions to the tragedy of the tourism commons to realize a more sustainable development of rural tourism. This paper uses the data collected in 2017 from 56 villages across 13 provinces of China and obtains the following results using econometric methods. In the absence of a self-governing institution, there was a nonlinear inverted U-shaped relationship between the income of local residents involved in rural tourism and their scale, indicating that the increase of local residents involved in rural tourism only increased their incomes in the initial stage of rural tourism development. However, with the continuous increase of local residents involved in rural tourism, the tragedy of the tourism commons led to lower income from rural tourism. In the presence of a self-governing institution, there was a positive correlation between the income and scale of local residents involved in rural tourism, which indicates that the self-governing institution successfully overcame the tragedy of the tourism commons and ultimately supported the continuous surge of income from rural tourism. This paper also provides a new way for people to understand the development and evolution of the tourism area life cycle theory.

System Construction, Tourism Empowerment, and Community Participation: The Sustainable Way of Rural Tourism Development

The development of rural tourism serves as a crucial strategy for achieving rural revitalization and common prosperity in China. However, the uneven distribution of interests caused by the imperfect tourism destination system is common, and its economic and social impacts have become a major problem and obstacle to the sustainable development of rural tourism. Tourism empowerment and community participation are important for balancing community interests and promoting the sustainable development of tourism. Therefore, from the perspective of tourism empowerment and community participation, this paper takes the Wuzhen scenic area as a case study and considers tourism empowerment as a mediating variable between system construction and community participation, with participation ability serving as a moderating variable. Employing a structural equation model, this paper investigates the interactions among system construction, tourism empowerment, community participation, and participation ability in a rural destination context. The results indicate that system construction significantly benefits tourism empowerment and community participation. Tourism empowerment exerts a significant positive impact on community participation while also serving as a partial mediator between system construction and community participation. Additionally, participation ability positively moderates the impact of system construction on tourism empowerment. This study recommends the creation of an interest linkage mechanism grounded in the property rights of tourism attractions, the introduction of oversight mechanisms for rural tourism enterprises, and the fortification of community participation through educational and informational support as strategies to ensure the sustainable development of rural tourism destinations.

Spatial distribution patterns and factors influencing rural tourism destinations: An empirical study of China's agritainment resorts.

Agritainment is one of the essential aspects of rural tourism and plays an important role in the economic transformation and revitalization of rural areas. Taking 9200 agritainment resorts in China as a research object, this paper systematically uses geospatial analysis methods to analyze their spatial distribution patterns and influencing mechanisms. The results indicate: (1) All types of agritainment have a condensed distribution in space and are oriented in the northeast-southwest direction, with a central axis generally located in the Beijing-Zhengzhou-Wuhan line. (2) The distribution of agritainment is uneven across different spatial scales, and there are high-density clusters in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Sichuan-Chongqing region as the core, and sub-high-density distribution areas in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border, the southern coastal region, and the Xiangan-Jiang-Hubei border, manifesting prominent spatial distribution characteristics of large agglomeration and low dispersion. (3) Agritainment has a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. The Matthew effect is highly significant in space. The distribution of cold hot spots in the agritainment space shows a distribution pattern of "hot in the south and cold in the north." (4) The spatial distribution of agritainment is influenced by human factors such as society, economy, and the tourism industry as well as natural factors such as terrain, water systems, and climate. The intensity of influence of first-level human factors on the spatial distribution of agritainment ranks as follows: tourism industry factors (0.69) > social factors (0.37) > economic factors (0.30). The natural distribution of agritainment tends to be in humid plain and hilly areas with an altitude below 1000 m and annual precipitation above 800 mm. Agritainment is mainly distributed in the subtropical monsoon climate area adjacent to rivers. The research findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the spatial distribution pattern of agritainment in China, promoting the high-quality development of agritainment, and the sustainable development of rural tourism.