Sustainable Development Of Rural Tourism Research Articles

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.

做精品民宿业推动乡村旅游可持续发展——以湖北恩施茶花山居为例

做精品民宿业推动乡村旅游可持续发展——以湖北恩施茶花山居为例

Determination of sustainable rural tourism development strategies based on the SWOT-QSPM matrix: a case study in Dashtak village in Iran, Fars province

Determination of sustainable rural tourism development strategies based on the SWOT-QSPM matrix: a case study in Dashtak village in Iran, Fars province

A model to assess the sustainability of rural tourism based on a people-oriented concept: a case study of the villages in the Fuchun River Basin (China)

ABSTRACTRural tourism development emphasizes economic benefits while considering the needs of various stakeholders to achieve sustainability. This research aims to investigate the sustainable development of rural tourism by establishing a sustainability evaluation model to coordinate the demands of villagers and tourists based on a people-oriented concept. Using villages in the Fuchun River Basin in China as a case study, the study develops a rural tourism satisfaction evaluation system. A Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) method is then used to evaluate the satisfaction of tourists and villagers. Finally, a two-dimensional evaluation coordinate system is employed to identify various shortcomings. The results are as follows: 1) An imbalance is observed in satisfaction between villagers and tourists. Tourism development in this area mainly focuses on the interests of tourists; thus, the services and facilities provided to villagers are relatively limited. 2) The sustainable development of rural tourism lacks momentum; therefore, efforts should be made to strengthen construction in areas such as sanitation, accommodation, commercialization, folk activities, and communication. 3) The sustainability evaluation method of rural tourism needs to address the different interests of villagers and tourists and establish a system based on indicators of rural characteristics.

The Impact of Air Quality on the Tourism Industry: Measuring Stakeholder Subjectivity in Mures Country Using the Q Methodology

Abstract This study examines the perceptions of stakeholders regarding air quality and how it influences the tourism industry, exploring the relationship between air quality and travel decisions, the impact of air pollution on tourism demand, sustainable rural tourism development, and the level of air quality awareness in tourists' home countries. Utilizing the Q Methodology, based on Stephenson's theoretical concept of operative subjectivity, subjective perceptions and opinions of stakeholders in Mureș County regarding the impact of air quality on the tourism industry were measured. Data were collected through the Q-sort tool from a heterogeneous sample of 20 participants (P-sample) socio-demographically. The research highlights significant concern about air pollution and its impact on tourism and the environment, particularly in Târgu Mureș. The results reveal strong disapproval among the stakeholders, suggesting a common, homogeneous understanding of the importance of environmental protection and the need for a sustainable approach in the tourism industry and beyond. Three relevant factors were identified, including unfavorable perceptions regarding (1) the impact of pollution, (2) consensus on the importance of environmental conservation in sustainable tourism, and (3) diversity of perceptions regarding the impact of pollution on tourism demand and tourist satisfaction. The findings underscore the necessity of a balanced and genuine approach to promote sustainable and responsible tourism, considering similarities and differences in perceptions regarding the impact of pollution on tourism demand.

Talent cultivation model of rural tourism and industry-education integration combined with the advantageous correlation degree method

Abstract In this paper, we first constructed an industry-teaching integration model for rural tourism talent cultivation and determined the objectives, content, and cultivation methods for cultivating talent. Then, the correlation analysis model is established, the principal components are extracted, and the discrete behavioral observations of the system factors are transformed into segmented continuous lines through the method of linear interpolation, and then the geometric characteristics of the lines are used to determine whether the connection between different sequences is close. Finally, a correlation analysis is conducted on the level of talent cultivation during industry-teaching integration and the factors that influence it. The results show that the training conditions of industry-education integration β = 0.283, the training mode β = 3.409, and the training content β = 0.175, which indicates that the integration of industry-education integration plays an important role in cultivating rural tourism talents. This study proposes a new talent cultivation mode to provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of rural tourism.

Energy Literacy of Residents in Rural Communities: Comparison of Tourism and Non-Tourism Villages

Energy is an essential topic owing to the severe environmental problems faced worldwide, especially in underdeveloped rural areas. Energy literacy is closely related to energy consumption and conservation behaviors in daily life. Although the energy attitudes and behaviors of communities can determine the sustainable development of rural tourism, less attention has been paid to the energy literacy of rural communities. This study adopted a measurable scale to compare the energy literacy levels between 188 questionnaires from rural residents in tourism communities and 195 questionnaires from non-tourism communities both in the Jizhou District, China. A theoretical model was constructed to investigate the relationships between the variables. Additionally, this study verified the influence of rural tourism activities on communities’ energy literacy by comparing different villages. The results showed that rural communities have high levels of energy literacy in the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral sectors. Positive relationships between knowledge and attitude and between attitudes and behaviors were estimated. However, the positive impact of knowledge on behavior was inconspicuous. The most important theoretical contribution of this study is the confirmation of the significant differences in energy literacy between traditional and rural tourism destination communities, thus proving the improvement in communities’ energy literacy induced by tourism development. Finally, this study presents practical implications for policymakers.

Rural Tourism Through the Community Participation and Sustainable Development: An Empirical Study from Silk Route, East Sikkim

Abstract: Tourism destinations often are dependent on natural and cultural/heritage resources to form their attractions bases, which are linked to the economic vitality of local communities. Tourism industry can generate income and holistic development of a region. Rural tourism provides an economic incentive to the local people who are residing in these regions. It also adds an ethnic flavor to the consumer’s (tourist) taste. Silk Route in Sikkim is popularly known as ‘Silk Route” in Sikkim tourism map. It is one of the best rural tourist destinations of Sikkim. The silk route is very popular among the tourists. The landscape is beautiful and wonderfully thrilling. The lush greenery, panoramic view of hills and the simplicity of the indigenous inhabitants attracts the urban tourists to this place. The paper attempts an empirical presentation addressing the concept of rural tourism, which is an emerging perception on tourism introduced recently into the Indian tourism sector. This paper try to explore the potentiality as a rural tourist destination, and how such rural or Ecotourism can be an instrument to empower indigenous communities in a particular area and provide community development through economic and social benefits to the local communities for their well-being. This finding can be exemplified elsewhere as an approach on sustainable development of rural tourism through the community participation and management practiced at village level.

Exploring the Comprehensive Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Rural Tourism: A Perspective and Method Based on the AVC Theory

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a surge in rural tourism, catering to consumers during the pandemic. However, rural tourism faces severe issues of homogeneity and environmental degradation owing to excessive development. Sustainable development of rural tourism is an urgent problem. This study, based on the average variable cost (AVC) theory, aims to explore the sustainable development of rural tourism landscapes with a focus on the Shijing area. A landscape evaluation system was established through factor analysis and weight calculations, with ten principal components contributing to a cumulative contribution rate of 77.196%. The weighted values for attractiveness, vitality, and resilience were 0.539, 0.297, and 0.164, respectively. The findings indicate that Caijiapo Village had the highest comprehensive score of 88.79 (good level of performance), whereas Laoyukou Village had the lowest comprehensive score of 80.25 (average level of performance). Caijiapo and Liyukou exhibited the strongest overall strength, whereas Liyuanpo and Xiazhuang had moderate overall strength, and Laoyukou had the weakest overall strength. The results reveal that all five villages possess rich natural landscapes and favorable geographical conditions, demonstrating the potential and attractiveness of rural tourism development. However, the overall carrying capacity was moderate and vitality was relatively weak. This supports the AVC theory application in rural tourism research and emphasizes the importance of rural landscape quality and economic vitality. The main contributions of this study are as follows: (1) the establishment of a rural tourism landscape evaluation system based on the AVC theory, providing a scientific assessment method for sustainable development; (2) the case evaluation in the Shiying area provides decision-makers with reference for development strategies; (3) emphasis on the importance of ecological conservation in rural tourism and providing recommendations to address issues of homogenization and environmental degradation.

Beauty and tourists’ sustainable behaviour in rural tourism: a self-transcendent emotions perspective

Tourism can contribute to the sustainable development of a rural destination, but tourists’ sustainable behaviours often determine the extent of impact. Thus, exploration of the factors that affect the sustainable behaviours of tourists participating in rural tourism may facilitate the development of sustainable rural tourism. Using self-transcendent emotions as a primary lens, our study proposes a theoretical framework to unpack the relationship between engagement with beauty, self-transcendent emotions, and sustainable behaviour. Based on questionnaire data collected from 437 tourists in Luanchuan, China and analysed using Mplus, results show that engagement with beauty (natural beauty, artistic beauty, and moral beauty) can stimulate tourists’ self-transcendent emotions. The stronger the perception of engagement with beauty, the stronger the self-transcendent emotions, which promote sustainable behaviour. This study offers a theoretical understanding of the sustainable development of rural tourism, showing that beauty of destination attractions can affect sustainable behaviours through the experience of self-transcendent emotions. It also provides management suggestions for the development of rural tourism. By optimising the management of tourists’ engagement with beauty and self-transcendent emotions, rural communities can guide tourists’ behaviour to improve sustainable tourism in rural communities.

Sustainable Rural Tourism Practices From the Local Tourism Stakeholders' Perspectives

Purpose: The paper presents empirical evidence of sustainable practices adopted by rural tourism stakeholders. It explores the concept and meaning of sustainable practices and what motivates rural tourism stakeholders to adopt sustainable tourism practices as well as recommendations to enhance sustainable rural tourism practices.
 Design/methodology/approach: This paper describes an exploratory qualitative research project designed to investigate sustainable tourism practices of the rural tourism stakeholders. An inductive approach was adopted to address the research objectives. Specifically, this paper focuses on individuals' subjectivity and understanding of sustainable tourism practices in terms of meaning, motivations, and areas of improvement. The respondents' opinions were collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of 29 rural tourism operators participated in the data collection from the two rural tourism associations in Sabah, Malaysia. The data collection was held at Kota Marudu and Kuala Penyu from April to May 2022.
 Findings: The findings revealed that sustainable tourism practices relate to conservation and preservation, economic benefits, collaboration and protection, environmental impact, future growth, awareness, knowledge, and improvement. Interestingly, the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is strongly connected to the term “fairness”, to competitive products and quality attractions, and to meeting tourists' needs. This implies the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is not limited to economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts; it also relates to quality tourism products and the needs of tourists. Key drivers for sustainability practices include economic, social, environmental, and government support. Relevant approaches for improving sustainable rural tourism practices include greater participation and collaboration among rural tourism operators, conservation and preservation, destination uniqueness, long-term growth, and 3Rs practices (reduce, reuse, and recycle).
 Research limitations/implications: Findings implicate sustainable rural tourism destination management and the rural tourism stakeholders to adopt and enhance the sustainability of the rural sites and destination. It also extends the scope of existing literature on the meaning, motivation and sustainability practices of rural tourist destinations.
 Originality/value: This study focuses on the importance of sustainability in rural tourism in Sabah, Malaysia, an area on which limited empirical research has been done. The study provides an in-depth understanding of the meaning and drivers of sustainable practices from the rural tourism operators' perspectives. Additionally, it proposes sound strategies for sustainable rural tourism practices. Such practices and development are attributed to an individual's understanding of the concept of and motives for adopting sustainable development practices, government support, and core infrastructure. Finally, this study offers practical implications for sustainable development of rural tourism.