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)

Abstract

Rural 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.