Research On The Motivations And Outcomes Of Tourists’ Participation In Agritourism Experience Value Co-creation Behavior In Rural Tourism Destinations

To revive the nation,the countryside must be revitalized.A key aspect of rural revitalization lies in the prosperity of its industries.Rural tourism is a new form of rural industry development that contributes to the promotion of rural economic growth and addresses issues related to local employment and income for farmers.In recent years,rural tourism has experienced rapid growth due to its unique resource advantages,driven by relevant policies and the growing demand from urban dwellers seeking an escape from the city and a return to nature.Statistics show that between2014 and 2019,the number of rural tourists in China increased from 12 million to 32 million,representing a total growth rate of approximately 167%.As a significant activity within rural tourism,agritourism experience allows visitors to experience agricultural labor and rural life,making it highly favored by the market.The rise of agritourism experience activities is the result of a confluence of market demand and supply.From a demand perspective,it reflects the psychological need of urban residents to break away from urban pollution and the fast-paced city life,seeking a return to rural living.From a supply perspective,it is related to urbanization,rising income levels,and the optimization of the tourism product structure.Fueled by market demand,various agritourism projects have emerged,such as farm visits,local food tastings,do-it-yourself(DIY)experiences,and crop picking.Agritourism experience activities play a vital role in the development of rural tourism,not only increasing income for farmers and providing employment opportunities but also contributing to environmental and local cultural preservation.Agritourism experience is characterized by strong participation and productivity.However,some rural tourism destinations tend to focus excessively on agricultural production while neglecting the need to meet visitor expectations.In agritourism experience,the role of visitors shifts from passive recipients of value to co-creators of value.Value co-creation is at the core of this new form of value creation,with customers consistently being co-creators of value,aligning well with the role of visitors in agritourism experience.Considering this,studying tourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation from the perspective of value co-creation not only helps meet tourist needs but also enhances the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations.This is of significant importance for the comprehensive realization of rural revitalization.However,unlike traditional tourism consumption,agritourism experience exhibits characteristics of productive consumption.So,are there differences in value co-creation behavior when tourists participate in agritourism experience compared to traditional tourism,and if so,where do these differences manifest? Why are tourists willing to participate in agritourism experience activities? What are the underlying motivations? Furthermore,what value does tourists’ participation in value co-creation in agritourism experience bring to both themselves and the rural tourism destination?To delve deeper into the above-mentioned issues,this study systematically investigates the motivations and outcomes of tourists’ participating in agritourism experience value co-creation behavior in rural tourism destinations.The research primarily encompasses the following aspects: Drawing inspiration from the concepts of service-dominant logic,push-pull theory,experiential economics,happiness theory,and the multifunctionality of agriculture,we construct a theoretical framework for understanding the "motivations-behaviors-outcomes" of tourists’ participating in agritourism experience value co-creation.By utilizing macro-level statistical data and relevant information,we trace the developmental history of agritourism experience value co-creation in rural tourism destinations.This helps clarify the current status and challenges faced by the co-creation of value through agritourism experience.Employing literature research,interviews,and agritourism experience context analysis,we establish a comprehensive system of indicators for tourists’ participating in agritourism experience value co-creation in rural tourism destinations.We then collect sample data through questionnaire surveys and employ exploratory factor analysis to identify the dimensions of tourists’ participating in agritourism experience value cocreation.Subsequently,we use confirmatory factor analysis to validate the soundness of these dimensions.Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling,we empirically examine the motivations behind tourists’ participation in value co-creation through agritourism experiences.Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to explore the outcomes of participation in agritourism experience value co-creation behavior.Mediation effects were also examined to assess the relationship between value co-creation behaviors and the value of rural tourism destinations.The main research conclusions of this article are as follows:(1)Agritourism experience has always been a significant activity provided by rural tourism destinations.In recent years,in China,agritourism experience activities are conducted in an organized manner,and relevant authorities and the government have put in considerable effort to develop these activities,achieving certain successes.Agritourism experience activities have attracted significant participation from tourists and have brought value to rural tourism destinations.At present,agritourism experience activities have a wide scope,a variety of types,and encompass a broad range of participant groups.However,challenges in agritourism experience value cocreation still exist,including insufficient supply conditions,severe homogenization of agritourism experiences,inadequate representation of agricultural multifunctionality,and a lack of strong agritourism experience brand awareness.(2)The value co-creation behaviors of tourists participating in agritourism experience include three aspects: tourists’ participation behaviors,tourists’ citizenship behaviors,and tourists’ interactive behaviors.tourists’ participation behaviors encompass activities such as information seeking,information sharing,and responsible actions.Tourists’ citizenship behaviors include acts of assistance,tolerance,advocacy,and feedback.Tourists’ interactive behaviors are associated with interpersonal interactions.It is worth noting that the study has also identified that the key participants in the value co-creation of agritourism experiences include both online and offline entities.Online participants consist of members from family and friends networks and virtual community members,among others.Offline participants include tourists,local residents,and agricultural experience staff,among others.These members play crucial roles in the co-creation process of agricultural experiences.(3)Tourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation behavior is determined by authenticity motivation and the supply conditions of rural tourism destinations.Authenticity motivation is a crucial factor in tourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation behavior.Inner authenticity motivates tourists to engage in participation and interactive behaviors.Interpersonal authenticity promotes tourists to engage in participation,interactive,and citizen behaviors.Objective authenticity,through intrapersonal and interpersonal authenticity,drives tourists to participate in value co-creation behaviors.Constructive authenticity,through interpersonal authenticity,encourages tourists to engage in value co-creation behaviors.The supply conditions of rural tourism destinations,which are an important factor in tourists’ participation behavior and interaction behavior,play an important role in tourists’ agritourism experience value co-creation behavior.(4)The value co-creation behaviors of tourists participating in agritourism experience contribute to enhancing the value of both tourists and rural tourism destinations.Tourist value comprises process value and outcome value,where the tourist’s process value is manifested as happiness experience,and the ultimate value is reflected in the perceived experience value.The value of rural tourist destinations,on the other hand,is represented by agritourism experience brand equity.To begin with,tourists’ participation in the value co-creation of agritourism experience can increase tourists’ process value,which is their happiness experience.Specifically,tourists’ participation behaviors,tourists’ citizenship behaviors,and tourists’ interactive behaviors all lead to tourists experiencing hedonic happiness.Additionally,citizenship behaviors and interactive behaviors have a positive impact on eudaimonic happiness,while the influence of participation behaviors on eudaimonic happiness is not significant.Furthermore,the process value,which is the happiness experience,influences the resultant value,manifested as hedonic happiness and eudaimonic happiness positively impacting perceived experience value.Eudaimonic happiness has a positive influence on agritourism experience brand equity,whereas the impact of hedonic happiness on agritourism experience brand equity is not significant.Lastly,the value co-creation behaviors in agritourism experience influence the value of rural tourism destinations through the value generated for tourists.Specifically,participation behaviors enhance agritourism experience brand equity through a dual effect of hedonic happiness and perceived experience value.Tourists’ citizenship behaviors contribute to the improvement of agritourism experience brand equity through a dual effect of hedonic happiness and perceived experience value,eudaimonic happiness,and a dual effect of eudaimonic happiness and perceived experience value.Tourists’ interactive behaviors play a positive role in boosting agritourism experience brand equity through a dual effect of hedonic happiness and perceived experience value,eudaimonic happiness,and a dual effect of eudaimonic happiness and perceived experience value.Based on the research findings above,the following recommendations can be proposed:(1)Develop and refine special rural tourism development policiesThe development of rural tourism relies on policy support,and it is crucial to establish and refine special rural tourism policies at the national level to protect the legal rights and interests of rural tourism destination operators.These policies should encompass financial support,land-use policies,talent development policies,and tax incentives.(2)Build agritourism experience brandsTo encourage tourists to participate in agritourism experience value co-creation in rural tourism destinations,the primary task is to provide diverse agritourism experience programs.Rural tourism destinations should focus on creating agritourism experience brands to attract active tourist participation.To accomplish this objective,the following steps should be taken: actively improve the infrastructure of rural tourist destinations to ensure the provision of high-quality agritourism experience;introduce diversified agritourism experience programs to reduce homogeneity;enhance the multifunctionality of agriculture and create ecological agricultural demonstration sites;actively promote the agricultural experience brand to elevate its brand value.(3)Enhance agritourism experience supply conditionsTourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation is influenced by the supply conditions of rural tourism destinations.This necessitates rural tourism destinations to improve their supply conditions to enhance tourist engagement and the level of tourist management.Firstly,providing space for co-creating value through farm experiences can attract tourists as part-time contributors to rural tourism destinations.Secondly,establishing interactive platforms can broaden the channels for information exchange.Thirdly,rewarding tourists for their engagement in value cocreation behavior can attract and encourage continued tourist participation.(4)Attract tourists with authenticity needsRural tourism destinations must focus on attracting tourists with authenticity needs.On one hand,these destinations should maintain the authenticity of the material elements and ensure that the local way of life and culture are perceivably genuine,thus satisfying tourists’ object-related authenticity.On the other hand,destination managers need to design agritourism experience programs that require physical or mental labor from tourists,while also paying attention to the design of interactive aspects to fulfill the subjective authenticity needs.(5)Develop differentiated agritourism experience strategies for target audiencesAgritourism experience brand equity is crucial for the reputation and sustainable development of rural tourism destinations.Rural tourism destination managers should recognize the significant role that tourists play in nurturing the agritourism experience brand equity of their destination.First,based on tourists’ value demands and the creation of agritourism experience brand equity for the rural tourism destination,destination managers should gain a deep understanding of how tourists engage in value co-creation behaviors,including participation behaviors,interaction behaviors,and citizenship behaviors.To do this,destination managers should establish effective communication channels,encourage tourist engagement,and solicit their desires and needs.Additionally,they should design agritourism experience activities that promote interpersonal interaction,which can be accomplished through communication,interaction,and collaboration.Destination managers should also categorize participating tourists into different groups,allowing them the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback,thereby encouraging citizenship behavior.Second,in the design of agritourism experience activities,destination managers should create a balance between enjoyable experiences and the level of difficulty.This balance caters to tourists’ psychological needs for both hedonic and eudaimonic happiness.By enhancing the perceived value of agritourism experience activities,this approach fosters positive evaluations from tourists and ultimately strengthens the agritourism experience brand equity of the rural tourism destination.These innovations are as follows:(1)This study extends the application research of service-dominant logic in tourism.Currently,the application of service-dominant logic in various tourism contexts,such as creative tourism,wildlife tourism,festival tourism,and online tourism,is gradually increasing.However,these studies have not explored the agritourism experience in rural tourism destinations.This study applies the servicedominant logic to agritourism experience in rural tourism destinations,establishing a theoretical framework for analyzing the "motivations-behaviors-outcomes" of tourists participating in agritourism experience value co-creation.It expands and enriches the application scope of service-dominant logic.(2)This paper explores the motivations of tourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation behavior.This paper explores the motivations driving tourists to engage in agritourism experience value co-creation behaviors based on the push-pull theory.It suggests that the driving force for tourists to engage in value cocreation behavior is authenticity,while the pulling force is the supply conditions of rural tourism destinations.It delves into the relationships between authenticity,supply conditions of rural tourism destinations,and agritourism experience value co-creation behavior,deepening the understanding of the antecedents of tourism experience value co-creation behaviors.(3)This study reveals the mechanisms through which value co-creation behaviors in agritourism experiences impact the value of both tourists and rural tourism destinations.This study,from the perspective of tourists,based on the assessment of co-creating value in agritourism experience,categorizes tourist value into process value(happiness experience)and outcome value(perceived experiential value).Simultaneously,it defines the value of rural tourism destinations as agritourism experience brand equity.The research explores the mechanisms through which tourists’ participation in co-creating value during agritourism experiences impacts both tourists and the value of rural tourism destinations.It argues that tourists’ participation in agritourism experience value co-creation enhances tourists’ outcome value(perceived experiential value)and the value of rural tourism destinations(agritourism experience brand equity)by increasing the process value they derive,characterized by happiness experience.Consequently,this study deepens our understanding of the value enhancement process through co-creation behavior for the parties involved in value co-creation.