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.