The ultimate goal of this study is to optimize and enhance the rural landscapes in southern Henan from the perspective of tourist perception, making them more attractive and competitive. To achieve this goal, the study focuses on Dingliwan Village in ...
The ultimate goal of this study is to optimize and enhance the rural landscapes in southern Henan from the perspective of tourist perception, making them more attractive and competitive. To achieve this goal, the study focuses on Dingliwan Village in Xinyang City, Henan Province, China, using tourist landscape perception as the entry point. Two methods were used to collect research data: online big data and a questionnaire survey. The study clarifies the process of tourists’ rural perception and the structural system of rural landscape attraction. It also compares the differences in landscape perception evaluation, overall satisfaction, and revisiting willingness among tourists with different demographic characteristics and travel motivations. Factors affecting tourists' satisfaction with landscape perception and their behavioral intentions are ranked in terms of influence, providing guidance for the development and enhancement of traditional village landscapes in southern Henan. The specific research process is as follows:
Chapter 1: By reviewing the research background and the landscape research status of southern Henan, the necessity of this study is confirmed.
Chapter 2: Through sorting out relevant concepts and theories, the tourist perception process of rural tours, the structural system of rural landscape attraction, and the classification of Dingliwan Village's landscape are clarified. This study selects tourists' post-visit perceptions. Using the push-pull theory, the study connects tourists’ rural landscape perception with the landscape attraction of traditional villages. Landscape resources that attract tourists are viewed as the core pull factors, while tourists’ pre-visit perception and recreational needs are seen as push factors for landscape attraction. The study uses two indicators, tourists’ multidimensional satisfaction and overall satisfaction, to evaluate mid-tour and post-tour perceptions, while revisit intention and recommendation intention are used as predictors of future tourist behavior.
Chapter 3: The relationships between variables within the theoretical framework of landscape attraction constructed in Chapter 2 are analyzed. A simple theoretical model of variable relationships is built, and three hypotheses are proposed to verify the model and identify the factors influencing tourists' landscape satisfaction and behavioral intentions.
Chapter 4: Based on the landscape classification in Chapter 2, this chapter provides a detailed introduction to the features and current conditions of the various landscapes in Dingliwan Village.
Chapter 5: This chapter focuses on tourists' landscape perceptions of Dingliwan Village by analyzing two data sources: tourist-generated content (UGC) network big data and survey questionnaire data.
Firstly, through UGC network big data analysis, the study comprehensively explores tourists' perception frequency and satisfaction with the village landscape. The analysis reveals that tourists’ perceptions primarily focus on architectural landscapes and cultural landscapes, while recognition of street landscapes is relatively low. To enhance the village's attractiveness and satisfaction, the study suggests strengthening the excavation and promotion of cultural characteristics.
Secondly, based on the findings of the big data analysis, the survey questionnaire was designed. Reliability and validity tests, along with factor dimensionality reduction analysis, were conducted to determine the formula for calculating satisfaction scores for each landscape factor, laying the foundation for subsequent research.
Finally, using SPSS 26.0, the formal survey data is analyzed to verify the three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 is confirmed, indicating that tourists' demographic characteristics and travel motivations influence their satisfaction with Dingliwan Village’s landscape. Satisfaction with various landscape perception sub-items positively affects overall landscape perception satisfaction. The four landscape factors' for satisfaction levels ranked by their influence on overall satisfaction are cultural landscape, environmental landscape, street landscape, and architectural landscape. Sub-hypothesis H2-1 under Hypothesis 2 is supported, showing that tourists' overall satisfaction with the landscape positively affects their intention to revisit and recommend the village. However, H2-2 is not supported, as individual landscape perception satisfaction does not directly influence tourists' behavioral intentions but instead affects these intentions indirectly by influencing overall landscape perception satisfaction. Hypothesis 3 is not supported, as tourists’ landscape preferences and satisfaction with landscape perception show a negative correlation. Based on the IPA (Importance-Performance Analysis) results, the priority order for improving Dingliwan Village's landscape is determined. From the highest to the lowest priority, the landscape factors are ranked as architectural landscape, cultural landscape, street landscape, and environmental landscape.
In addition, this chapter summarizes the results of the questionnaire analysis and compares them with the big data analysis. It is found that the results of both analyses are largely consistent. Tourists show high attention to the architectural and cultural landscapes of Dingliwan Village, but satisfaction with certain variables in the architectural landscape and all variables in the cultural landscape is low. Perception frequency and satisfaction levels for the environmental and street landscapes are relatively low.
In conclusion, a theoretical framework for rural landscape attraction was constructed from the perspective of tourist perception. Through questionnaire surveys and big data analysis, factors influencing tourists' perceived satisfaction and behavioral intentions were explored, and a prioritization strategy for landscape development was proposed. Although the study has limitations in terms of research scope, methodology, and sample size, it provides theoretical support for improving the landscape design of traditional villages in southern Henan. Future efforts are expected to further optimize the landscapes of traditional villages, enhancing their cultural value and tourism appeal.