The Role of Well‐Being and Quality of Life in Shaping Chinese Residents' Support for Rural Tourism

ABSTRACT Grounded in positive psychology, this study integrates Social Exchange Theory (SET) with well‐being and quality of life (QOL) perspectives to examine the mechanisms shaping Chinese rural residents' support for tourism development. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted across five rural regions in China, yielding 879 completed responses that were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings reveal that community attachment, involvement, and identification play important roles in shaping residents' perceptions of tourism impacts. Perceived benefits significantly enhanced residents' well‐being, which subsequently improved their QOL and strengthened support for rural tourism development. In contrast, perceived costs were insignificantly associated with well‐being. By integrating well‐being positive psychological outcomes into SET, this study extends existing explanations of residents' support for tourism beyond economic exchange mechanisms and highlights the importance of well‐being and QOL in rural tourism development. The findings provide practical insights for policymakers and destination managers seeking to promote rural revitalization.