Homestay Experiencescape and Tourist Loyalty in Dali, China: The Roles of Perceived Value and Tourist Satisfaction

Dali’s lakeside and mountain landscapes, historic communities, and Bai cultural heritage support a diverse homestay sector in which competitiveness increasingly depends on the guest experience. This study examines the association between Homestay Experiencescape and Tourist Loyalty toward the Focal Homestay and the distinct roles of Perceived Value of the homestay tourism experience and Tourist Satisfaction within this association. Data were obtained from 480 Chinese domestic tourists who had stayed overnight in a Dali homestay during the previous 12 months. Respondents were recruited across four homestay categories through purposive quota sampling that combined onsite QR-code surveys with targeted online invitations. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to estimate direct and indirect relationships. A more favorable Homestay Experiencescape was associated with greater Perceived Value and Tourist Satisfaction. Perceived Value was positively associated with Tourist Satisfaction, and both constructs were positively related to property-specific loyalty. Bootstrap analysis supported indirect associations through each evaluation separately and an ordered indirect association through Perceived Value and Tourist Satisfaction. Within the purposively sampled Dali homestay context, the findings show how a six-dimensional Homestay Experiencescape is associated with property-specific loyalty through distinct value and satisfaction evaluations, while the observed relationships should not be interpreted as nationally representative of homestays across China.