The Lost View: Villager-Centered Scale Development and Validation Due to Rural Tourism for Traditional Villages in China

Traditional villages are the convergence points for rural tourism and cultural heritage, with their uniqueness deriving from their enduring cultural genes. Villagers serve as the continuators of traditional villages, the transmitters of cultural heritage, and active participants in rural tourism, all predisposing villagers to adopt key positions in these areas. However, villager-centered research has not been systematically explored. This gap may be due to the marginalization of villagers in developing rural tourism and cultural heritage, the challenges associated with measuring villager-centered impacts, and the lack of appropriate measurement tools. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a scale to assess the impact of rural tourism on villagers. Using Shangzhuang Village and Guoyu Village in China as case studies, a total of 305 samples were collected. Through construct dimensions, potential item generation, scale purification, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and reliability and validity testing, a villager-centered tourism impact scale was established, encompassing 13 items across three dimensions: economic, social, and cultural. The findings provide a new tool for village leaders, tourism developers, and policymakers to effectively incorporate villagers’ perspectives into rural tourism and heritage preservation efforts, contributing to the sustainable development of traditional villages and their associated tourism.