Toward Sustainable Tourism: An Activity-Based Segmentation of the Rural Tourism Market in China

Lin Fu (), Junko Sanada and Wenzheng Zhang
Additional contact information
Lin Fu: Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Junko Sanada: Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Wenzheng Zhang: School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: Rural areas are increasingly popular tourist destinations, contributing to socioeconomic development while also posing sustainability challenges. Recent research emphasizes that the sustainability of tourist destinations largely depends on the types of visitors they attract. This study aims to conduct a segmentation analysis of tourists’ motivations and behaviors in Chinese rural tourism to gain market insights and guide destination demand management with a focus on sustainable development. Survey data were collected from 517 tourists in northern China using a self-administered questionnaire. The results identify four key tourist groups: urbanists, food and architecture enthusiasts, history lovers, and multiple experience seekers. Cluster analysis reveals that while most tourists prioritize leisure and entertainment, history lovers demonstrate a stronger interest in rural and agricultural experiences, positioning them as crucial to promoting sustainable tourism. In contrast, urbanists and food and architecture enthusiasts, though contributing economically, engage less with agricultural and environmental aspects, raising concerns about mass tourism and the erosion of rural authenticity. This research contributes to the expanding literature on rural tourism in China, providing insights into market segmentation as a tool for fostering sustainable development. It also offers practical implications for policymakers and destination managers to better align tourism strategies with sustainability objectives.

Keywords: rural tourism; market segmentation; sustainable development; consumption; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3341/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3341/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3341-:d:1630988

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().