Destination authenticity as a halo? Enhancing emotional solidarity with residents in rural tourism

Abstract

Emotional interaction between tourists and hosts is a vital element of rural tourism, and tourists often seek nostalgia and authenticity in rural settings. Based on the cognition-affect-behavior (CAB) framework and the halo effect theory, this study constructs a hypothetical model to explore the antecedents and consequences of emotional solidarity between rural tourists and residents. Online responses were collected from 324 Chinese rural tourists. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate: (1) Perceived authenticity of rural tourists has a positive impact on nostalgic emotions; (2) Both perceived authenticity and nostalgic emotions promote emotional solidarity between rural tourists and residents; (3) Emotional solidarity is a significant predictor of revisit intention. This study enhances understanding of emotional solidarity in a rural context and provides practical insights for stakeholders to foster host-guest relationships.