Search Results (1,202)

This study addresses second-home ownership not merely as a form of tourism accommodation or real estate investment, but as a home-building process intersecting with local life, belonging, daily practices, and sustainable destination governance. While the economic, environmental, and community impacts of second-homes have been extensively discussed in the literature, how individuals perceive their primary and secondary homes differently in terms of the bodily, material, vibrant, imaginary, and emotional dimensions of home has been examined in a limited number of studies. This research analyzes paired data obtained through a two-stage online questionnaire from 223 British participants who own a secondary home in the Mugla–Ortaca region and a primary home in the United Kingdom. The 18-item Home Scale was used as the measurement tool. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability–validity analyses, measurement invariance, and paired-samples t-tests were applied. The findings show that the bodily home difference was not statistically significant at the conventional 0.05 threshold, whereas primary-home scores were significantly higher in the material, vibrant, imaginary, and emotional home dimensions. The small to small-medium effect sizes suggest that the results should be interpreted cautiously as an asymmetrical home-building process rather than as evidence of a hierarchical superiority of the primary home. The study proposes a planning approach that does not view second home owners as merely transient consumers in sustainable coastal–rural destinations, but rather considers social sustainability, service planning, seasonality management, and local community engagement channels together. Full article

Rural land art festivals serve as an important practical vehicle for integrating urban and rural culture and tourism. They constitute a crucial component of rural tourism in China and play a key role in the sustainable development of rural areas. However, in practice, these festivals are generally confronted with the dilemma of superficial tourist participation and insufficient sustainability. This study aims to uncover the intrinsic psychological evolution mechanism underlying tourists’ responses to external stimuli and their value co-creation. The S-O-R model and the two-factor theory are integrated to construct an analytical framework: “external stimulus–psychological sequence–behavioral response.” Using “Modern Fields” as the case study and 437 valid data points, an empirical analysis is conducted with PLS-SEM and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The results indicate that tourist participation is directly driven by destination quality. Content stickiness exerts an indirect influence through perceived value. Perceived value facilitates value co-creation only when it is fully mediated by tourist participation. The path from participation to co-creation is significantly strengthened by restorative environmental perception. A multi-group analysis further reveals that inexperienced tourists exhibit a “stimulus-driven” characteristic, whereas experienced tourists follow a “value internalization” path. The ANN analysis further shows that the strongest nonlinear predictive power for co-creation behavior is held by restorative environmental perception. A significant direct nonlinear effect is also exerted by destination quality. The evolutionary nodes and boundary conditions of tourists’ psychological sequence during this process are revealed. The boundary effect of restorative environmental perception as a catalyst for rural art tourism is demonstrated. A theoretical basis and practical insights are thereby provided for the segmented operation and sustainable development of these activities. Full article

As a multi-functional systemic carrier, rural tourism integrates diverse rural resources and serves as a key endogenous driver for sustainable rural development and the enhancement of rural residents’ livelihoods. However, excessive tourism development may lead to environmental pressures and exacerbate inequities in benefit distribution, rendering well-being gains uncertain. This study aims to explore the multidimensional mechanisms through which rural tourism influences rural residents’ well-being by utilizing national data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS). The results indicate that village-level tourism development exerts a positive effect on material and psychological well-being. Effects are particularly strong in eastern and hilly regions and in villages where the party secretary also serves as committee director. Further analysis identifies four channels through which rural tourism enhances well-being: fostering digital financial inclusion, advancing empowerment reforms, reallocating resources, and optimizing governance frameworks. Additionally, tourism development leads to improvements in indicators such as road quality, living environment, and satisfaction with village committee performance—while highlighting policy attention to social security, housing, and income satisfaction. Full article

Wild fruit species are key components of natural and semi-natural ecosystems, playing an important role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity. This review aims to analyze these species from the perspective of their ecological functions, contribution to biodiversity conservation, and the ecosystem services they provide. Ecologically, wild fruit species contribute to soil stabilization, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration, while also serving as essential food sources and habitats for a wide range of organisms, including mammals, birds, insects, and microorganisms. Through these interactions, they support ecosystem functioning and resilience. Beyond their ecological role, these species provide significant socio-economic benefits, particularly in rural areas. They contribute to cultural ecosystem services and represent valuable resources for traditional medicine, while also offering opportunities for income generation through harvesting, processing, commercialization, and rural tourism. In the context of climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing ecosystem degradation, wild fruit species represent multifunctional natural resources. Their conservation and sustainable use are essential for maintaining ecosystem functionality and promoting sustainable rural development. Full article

This research examines how the relationship between cities and rural areas has evolved in light of the profound transformation affecting rural areas of high landscape value, which has been driven by the expansion opportunities granted to the real estate sector by urban planning regulations. The role of the landscape dimension in interpreting the relationship between territorial wealth and landscape value is considered, based on the convergence of two complementary disciplinary perspectives on territory: land planning and valuation science. Against this backdrop, and with a view to containing the progressive contamination of rural and agricultural heritage by the real estate sector, this study proposes a structured observation, valuation, interpretation, and regulatory tool to support the development of territorial planning in areas significantly characterized in terms of rural landscape value. The proposed tool is based on evidence regarding the phenomenon of building expansion in the agricultural territory of a municipality in southeastern Sicily, where favorable conditions for the development of the building sector exist, such as the vastness of the municipal territory and extensive farming as the mainstay of agricultural activity. This wider sub-regional area has also received attention due to the over-tourism phenomenon that has occurred in its cities of art. The evaluation approach experienced is a value-based representation of the evolution of this process over three observation periods: 2000, 2007, and 2012, relating the quantitative observation of the building expansion to the connected qualitative impact on rural landscape. It is the result of coordinating a large set of data in a hierarchical model of indices that converge to construct a synthetic index of rural landscape resilience. This achievement is based on the linguistic progression of “lexicon”, “semantics”, “syntax”, and “pragmatics”, each of which robustly supports “observation”, “valuation”, “interpretation”, and “planning”, respectively. The final stage is based on the convergence of explanatory indices, which are developed by coordinating evidence and assessments (factual and value judgements). This stage enables the proposal of a constraints system that supports a modus vivendi between the interests of the real estate sector and the values of the rural landscape in such a rich and fragile area. Full article

The development of sustainable tourism in rural areas brings new challenges in terms of innovation and social inclusion. In this context, this study examines the adoption of social innovation by managers of rural guesthouses in Morocco. The objective is to identify the factors that influence their intention to adopt such practices, which may strengthen local cohesion, enhance cultural resources, and meet visitors’ expectations regarding sustainability. The analysis draws on the conceptual framework of the diffusion of innovation, which allows for the exploration of perceptions related to the relative advantage, compatibility, ease of use, visibility, and trialability of innovative practices. The research is based on a questionnaire survey conducted with a sample of 174 managers. The data collected underwent confirmatory factor analysis to validate the theoretical dimensions of the model, and were then analyzed using an ordered Logit model to account for the ordinal nature of the dependent variable measuring the intention to adopt. The empirical results indicate that several perceived factors—namely the superiority of the innovation, its economic or symbolic benefits, its cultural compatibility, its simplicity of understanding and use, and the visibility of its effects—have a significant influence. Other dimensions, such as technical compatibility or risk perception, do not show a notable effect. The study also highlights the role of education level and gender in the propensity to adopt social innovation. Full article

Against the backdrop of two-way urban–rural flows and the development of rural tourism, public space in peri-urban plain-type villages now carries multiple functions at the same time, including everyday life, visitor stay, and spatial display. As a result, the relationship between spatial organization and actual use has become increasingly complex. Taking Xihuaiyuan Village on the outskirts of Taiyuan as a case study, this paper builds a four-scale analytical framework covering the village, street, node, and element scales. It integrates social network analysis (SNA), space syntax, behavioral path analysis, questionnaire and interview data, and image–text perception data collected from Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Mafengwo, Dianping, and Ctrip to examine the structural characteristics, actual use, and spatial representation of rural public space, and further introduces spatial–behavioral coupling analysis at the node scale. The results show that there is a clear structure–behavior mismatch in the public-space system of Xihuaiyuan Village. The physical spatial network is more connected than the behavioral network. At the street level, the village has formed a configurational hierarchy led by a small number of streets with high integration and high choice. At the node level, functional use differs between villagers and tourists: villagers tend to prefer nodes with stronger social functions, while tourists rely more on sightseeing-oriented hubs. These nodes can be further divided into four types: synergistic, structure-Led, behavior-led, and dual-low marginal type. Spatial attraction is mainly concentrated in visual elements such as murals and flower landscapes, whereas cultural depth and service facilities receive much less attention. From the perspective of spatial–behavioral interaction, this study proposes a multi-scale, multi-source coupling framework, which may provide a useful reference for the differentiated identification and optimization of rural public space. Full article

This study analyses visitor dynamics in the municipality of Rascafría, located within the El Paular Valley cultural landscape in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain). Rather than conducting a landscape value analysis, the research serves as a diagnostic test of the complementarity and divergence between two data sources: official visitor records from the National Park and experimental statistics derived from mobile phone geolocation data provided by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). The methodology combines GIS-based cartographic representation with a battery of indicators to characterize the spatiotemporal structure of tourist flows. A central finding is the complementation between the two sources: INE mobile phone data exclude intra-provincial visitors from the Madrid region, which official records show constitute approximately 78% of total visitation. Consequently, mobile data portray an artificially national and international market profile (weighted average distance ≈ 211 km) that contradicts the well-documented proximity-based excursionism dominant in the area, evidencing a critical bias in INE data. The Spearman correlation (r = 0.64) between the two sources confirms that mobile data capture the general seasonal pattern but not the volume or the local nature of demand. The results underscore the potential of geolocated data for understanding non-metropolitan tourism structures, while simultaneously serving as a cautionary guide for heritage managers: “smart” data sources require heavy supplementation with traditional on-the-ground counting methods to accurately reflect the reality of proximity-based heritage consumption. The paper contributes a high-value methodological assessment for researchers and practitioners seeking to integrate experimental statistics into the management of protected cultural landscapes. Full article

Rural tourism is regarded as a significant pathway to enhance the well-being of rural households. However, existing research has yet to systematically examine the moderating role of governance conditions. Using data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey 2022 (CRRS), this study empirically investigates the influence and underlying mechanisms of rural tourism on the subjective well-being of rural residents, employing OLS as the baseline analysis, applying IV to address endogeneity, and using PSM for robustness checks. The findings reveal the following: First, rural tourism enhances the subjective well-being of rural residents. Second, organizational conditions and leadership conditions play a positive moderating role in the impact of rural tourism on rural residents’ well-being. Third, the positive impact of rural tourism on the subjective well-being of rural residents varies significantly across villages, and the realization of this effect is highly contingent on a village’s institutional planning capabilities and the administrative experience of village cadres. The marginal contribution of this study lies in revealing the boundary conditions for rural tourism to enhance rural residents’ well-being and uncovering the moderating mechanism of the governance conditions in the relationship between rural tourism and well-being. Full article

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) increasingly relies on e-learning environments to deliver scalable, flexible, and accessible educational experiences. While existing research has extensively examined the role of digital technologies in facilitating sustainability-oriented learning, significantly less attention has been given to how learners themselves adapt to the structures and dynamics of these environments. This study adopts a theory-building approach, grounded in integrative conceptual synthesis, to develop a coherent explanatory framework that combines insights from cognitive load theory, self-regulated learning, neurocognitive adaptation, and systems theory. The paper proposes the Sustainable Learning Loop, a recursive mechanism describing how repeated interaction with e-learning systems leads to pattern recognition, expectation stabilization, reduced cognitive effort, decreased active engagement, and the emergence of stable behavioral learning patterns. In addition, a novel typology of Sustainable Learning Habituation (SLH) is developed, distinguishing between cognitive, engagement, behavioral, and sustainability habituation. The framework highlights a dual dynamic in digital learning environments. On the one hand, habituation enhances efficiency, usability, and scalability, supporting the broader goals of sustainable education. On the other hand, it introduces critical risks, including superficial sustainability learning, reduced critical thinking, platform dependency, and the emergence of an illusion of learning, where perceived competence exceeds actual understanding. The study contributes to the literature by reframing e-learning as a co-adaptive system that actively shapes cognitive and behavioral processes, rather than merely delivering content. From a practical perspective, the findings underscore the need to design digital learning environments that balance efficiency with reflexivity, ensuring that ESD remains transformative rather than procedural. The framework also offers actionable design implications, suggesting that e-learning environments for ESD should incorporate reflective prompts, task variability, learning analytics indicators, and metacognitive feedback mechanisms to prevent excessive routinization and support deeper sustainability-oriented engagement. Future research should focus on the empirical operationalization of SLH and the development of adaptive systems that support critical engagement and sustainable learning outcomes. Full article

Tourism is highly exposed to external shocks such as pandemics, geopolitical instability, and security-related disruptions, which particularly affect small and rural enterprises. Although digital tools are frequently discussed as mechanisms supporting tourism competitiveness under conditions of tourism disruption, consumer-centred evidence remains limited. This study examines how consumers in Latvia evaluate digital tools and which factors they associate with rural tourism competitiveness and improvement priorities. The study is guided by a conceptual framework in which digital tools function as intermediary mechanisms linking conditions of tourism disruption to rural tourism competitiveness through consumer perceptions of accessibility, convenience, and trust. A mixed-methods CATI survey (N = 1004) was conducted in February–April 2025, combining statistical analysis of closed-ended responses with thematic analysis of consumer-defined competitiveness and improvement priorities derived from open-ended questions. The results show that age is the main factor differentiating evaluations of digital tools, while regional and settlement-type differences remain weak. Online booking and digital payments are valued across all age groups, whereas tools such as virtual tours show stronger age-related variation. When discussing competitiveness, respondents most frequently refer to institutional conditions, promotion, pricing, and digital tools as key competitiveness dimensions. However, when identifying improvements, priorities shift toward diversification of tourism offers and physical accessibility. Digital tools remain important and are primarily associated with practical functions such as booking, payments, information access, and online visibility that make rural tourism offers easier to find and use. The findings highlight the growing role of digital accessibility and information transparency as foundational conditions for rural tourism competitiveness under conditions of tourism disruption and uncertainty. Full article

The study analyses the role of GEOfood products and geoproducts in the eco-cultural sustainability and territorial regeneration of Portuguese UNESCO Global Geoparks, highlighting how geodiversity, agriculture, gastronomy and local communities are integrated into sustainable development strategies. GEOfood is presented not only as a certification mark, but as an instrument of territorial governance, capable of strengthening short supply chains, promoting local products, preserving traditional agro-silvo-pastoral systems and reinforcing the cultural identity of the territories. An analysis of the five Portuguese geoparks—Naturtejo, Arouca, the Azores, Terras de Cavaleiros and Estrela—highlights four main strategic pillars: certification and territorial branding, strengthening short supply chains and empowering producers, integrating gastronomy into interpretive tourism, and contributing to regenerative tourism practices. The results show positive impacts in terms of ecological conservation, landscape preservation, socio-cultural continuity and local economic resilience. It is concluded that GEOfood functions as a mechanism for integrated territorial enhancement, converting geological and food resources into economic, cultural and educational assets, whilst supporting landscape regeneration, the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and the sustainability of rural communities. Full article

Against the backdrop of the rapid expansion of rural tourism, an increasing number of migrant tourism entrepreneurs (MTEs) are moving from urban to rural areas. The integration of MTEs is crucial for both business sustainability and rural development. Using Hongcun village as a case study, this study adopts qualitative methods, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews, to explore the dynamic process of MTEs’ place integration from a social capital perspective. The findings suggest that MTEs’ place integration is manifested through four dimensions, namely economic embeddedness, social interaction, cultural acceptance, and emotional integration. Moreover, place integration and social capital form a mutually reinforcing cycle: integration practices generate localized social capital, which in turn facilitates deeper integration. The study also identifies that selective interaction leads to network stratification, highlighting the potential “dark side” of social capital. These findings suggest that effective integration depends not only on the accumulation of social capital but also on maintaining a dynamic balance among different types of social relationships. Full article

As a key driver of the rural revitalization strategy, the uneven development of rural tourism urgently requires resolution. To break through the limitations of traditional rural tourism research that focuses on a single economic dimension, this study innovatively constructs a comprehensive analytical framework integrating multi-dimensional evaluation, coupling measurement, and factor identification to examine the interaction between rural tourism development and ecosystem recovery capacity. Taking the Yangtze River Delta region of China as an empirical case, this paper analyzes the spatial coupling relationship and its associated factors between rural tourism development capacity and ecosystem recovery capacity. The results reveal that: (1) At the socio-economic level, the development of rural tourism in the Yangtze River Delta presents a spatial differentiation, with the southeastern region performing significantly better than the northwestern region, and 60.46% of the areas reaching a moderate level or above; (2) At the ecosystem level, high-value areas of ecosystem recovery capacity (50.28%) are mainly concentrated in the southern part; (3) The overall regional coordination level is relatively low, with 13 regions in the coordination stage (accounting for 35.3% of the total spatial area); (4) Technology and financial investment are the dominant factors associated with the coupling coordination degree, indicating a spatial pattern characterized by “innovation-driven” rather than “resource dependence”. Relying solely on natural background conditions is insufficient to build core advantages; we hypothesize that external interventions such as “capital injection” and “technological support” may serve as potential pathways to improve coordination and facilitate ecological value realization. The findings not only provide a new paradigm for evaluating the development quality of rural tourism, but also establish a complete research chain of “diagnosis-classification-optimization,” providing a scientific basis for formulating regionally differentiated development strategies. This study holds significant theoretical value and practical guiding significance for promoting the sustainable development of rural tourism. Full article

This study examines the transformation of the Balaton region in Hungary from a traditional tourist destination into an international retirement migration destination for older adults from Western Europe. Migration theories and models are applied to illustrate the relationships between migration and development and to explore how tourism, lifestyle aspirations, and socio-economic factors influence the settlement decisions of older migrants. Empirical findings suggest that prior tourism experience can mitigate the uncertainty associated with migration and foster belonging. However, many retirees move to Hungary with limited knowledge of the country, relying on social networks and real estate agents for information. These retired migrants also utilize local services and infrastructure, including healthcare and community spaces, which shape their daily lives and help them integrate into the community. The migration of older adults stimulates the development of peripheral rural areas through real estate purchases, renovations, and small-scale entrepreneurial activities, particularly in the accommodation sector. This challenges the traditional perception of older-age migrants as inactive. Full article