How to Build a Rural Community to Develop High-Quality Rural Tourism: A Case Study of Innovative Development Strategies for Idle Rural Homesteads in China

In China, rural tourism development constitutes a significant strategy for integrating and utilizing rural resources to achieve rural prosperity. However, reconciling the interests of villagers, government entities, and market actors is difficult in practice, leading to potential pitfalls such as the erosion of rural characteristics, villagers’ rights, and sustainability. The establishment of rural communities in China’s current rural areas can effectively resolve conflicts of interest among diverse stakeholders and address bottlenecks in rural tourism development. However, there is still a lack of theoretical and practical exploration of the maintenance and value realization of rural communities. This study explores the impact of innovative strategies employed during rural tourism development on community growth through a case study of the village of Baifeng in the Anhui province. The results indicate that fostering a sense of community among stakeholders and supporting marginalized groups are the most significant values in the development of rural communities. In practice, effective collaboration and communication among stakeholders, mutual acceptance and conflict resolution, and the development of community emotions/consciousness can help rural communities achieve high-quality construction. This study offers valuable insights into the theoretical advancement of rural communities and represents an excellent case study for the research on rural revitalization and common prosperity.