Does rural tourism revitalize the countryside? An exploration of the spatial reconstruction through the lens of cultural connotations of rurality

Rural revitalization has drawn increasing attention from the academia, public and industry. Using remote sensing imagery, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation, this study explores the content and mechanism of rural spatial reconstruction driven by tourism development in a rural area of China through the lens of cultural connotations of rurality. Results indicate government-led tourism development has transformed the focal village from a traditional rural society based on kinship ties into a commercialized rural tourism community with economic interests at its core. The interplay of space, value, power and capital constitutes the mechanism of spatial reconstruction. Findings emphasize the importance of rurality for the sustainable development of rural tourism and have implications for both governments and developers.