What Is the Psychological Code of Cycling Tourists? A Moderated Chain Mediation Model

Cycling tourism has emerged as a sustainable and health-promoting form of travel, gaining increasing popularity. Taking cyclists on the Sichuan–Tibet route as the research subject, this study constructs a moderated chain mediation model based on restorative environment theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to investigate the mechanism by which psychological benefits influence behavioral intentions. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to cyclists along the Sichuan–Tibet route, yielding 306 valid responses, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed mediation and moderation effects. The results show that psychological benefits directly and indirectly influence behavioral intentions through destination image and experiential quality, with the latter having a stronger mediating effect. Psychological openness moderates the effects of psychological benefits on destination image and behavioral intentions, but not on experiential quality. This study enriches the theoretical framework of psychological benefits, deepens the understanding of the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of cycling tourists, and provides new perspectives for the sustainable development of outdoor sports tourism.