Emerging rural tourism in China's current tourism industry and tourist behaviors: the case of Anji County

Recognizing the notable growth of rural tourism in China, this research aimed to take Anji County as a case to comprehend the role of rural tourism destination performances in affecting destination image and predicting satisfaction and loyalty. The empirical outcomes revealed that the higher-order construct of rural tourism performance significantly and positively influenced responsiveness constructs. Additionally, the moderating effect of tourist expectation was also demonstrated. This study provided certain guidance and reference for both academics and rural tourism industry practitioners to deepen the knowledge on investigating the associations among tourist expectation, rural tourism performance, destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty.

Automated summary

This research, focusing on the significant growth of rural tourism in China, examined the impact of rural tourism destination performances on destination image, and predicted satisfaction and loyalty using Anji County as a case study. The study found that rural tourism performance significantly influenced responsiveness constructs and demonstrated a moderating effect of tourist expectations. The findings provide valuable guidance for further exploration of the relationships among tourist expectation, rural tourism performance, destination image, tourist satisfaction, and loyalty for academics and industry practitioners in rural tourism sector.