The influencing factors on service experiences in rural tourism: An integrated approach

The exploration of service experiences in rural tourism is an important area in tourism research because it concerns the comprehensive visit and stay in a rural area, encompassing various dimensions. The multidimen-sional nature of experiences in rural settings entails the need for a more integrated approach to analysis. This study thus explores the factors determining experiences in rural tourism by integrating the theory of planned behavior and servicescape theory. Chinese respondents (515) were recruited to assess the proposed model. Service experience was found to positively affect consumption intentions in rural tourism. These findings show that the servicescape has a significant effect on consumers' behavioral intention and actual behavior. Behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls positively affect rural tourists' actual behavior. This study proposes an innovative framework for capturing the specificities of ruralscapes and highlights the importance of partnerships between industry practitioners and local stakeholders in managing rural tourism experiences.