From Fragmentation to Integration: How Service Design in Rural Tourism Destinations Influences Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions

As rural tourism continues to develop, service experience has become increasingly important to tourists. Rural tourism destination services involve multiple dimensions, and service design can integrate dispersed resources. However, existing studies have neglected the mechanisms of service design. To address this gap, this study constructs a research model by integrating the Multilevel Service Design framework and the stimulus–organism–response theory. This study also examines which service design factors are associated with tourists’ behavioral intentions. Data were collected from 425 valid questionnaires, and the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that destination brand experience, perceived service accessibility, and tourist value co-creation positively affect perceived service quality, place identity, and behavioral intention. Perceived service quality has a significant impact on behavioral intention, while place identity has no such impact. The effects of the three factors on behavioral intention are partially transmitted through perceived service quality. This paper expands on the theoretical research on rural tourists’ behavior and enriches the application scenarios of the Multilevel Service Design framework. The findings also provide practical guidance for administrators to improve service design in rural tourism destinations.