Advancing sustainable rural tourism in China: the role of system development and community support through a moderated mediation model

Abstract

Rural tourism development is a roadmap for rural rejuvenation and equitable prosperity in China. However, low participation from several communities, caused by systemic deficiencies at tourism destinations, has significantly hindered the sustainable development of rural tourism. Balancing community interests with sustainable tourism expansion requires focusing on tourism empowerment and community involvement. Consequently, from the viewpoints of tourism enhancement and community support, this study focuses on Mogan Mountain in Deqing County, near Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China. This study examines the influence of system development on tourism enhancement, the mediating influence of community support, and the moderating role of engagement ability. Using SEM (AMOS) and SPSS, the study analyzes the mediation and moderation effects among core variables in rural destinations. The findings demonstrate that system development substantially improves tourism and community support. Community support significantly influences tourism enhancement and partially mediates between system development and tourism enhancement. Moreover, engagement ability moderates the influence of system development on tourism enhancement. This research advocates for establishing an interest linkage mechanism based on the property rights of tourism attractions, implementing regulatory frameworks for rural tourism enterprises, and enhancing community support through educational and informational resources to promote the sustainable development of rural tourism destinations.