Rural allure and realities: Modelling tourist motivations, satisfaction, revisit intentions, and challenges – evidence from the Kashmir Valley of Jammu & Kashmir (UT)

The research endeavors to pinpoint the driving forces that shape tourists' contentment and propensity to revisit the rural regions of Kashmir Valley. Furthermore, it sought to understand the challenges that tourists encounter on excursions to rural tourism and how those challenges impact their overall happiness. While in Jammu and Kashmir (UT), 380 tourists who were interested in rural life were asked to fill out a survey. Quantitative data was collected using a structured questionnaire. This data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the SPSS 27 program. According to the study's findings, push and pull factors of travel motivation positively affect the tourist’s satisfaction, and that satisfaction positively affected revisitation. In contrast, the challenges faced by tourists significantly influence their level of satisfaction, indicating that greater challenges reduce overall visitor satisfaction The study offers practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders in designing strategies for sustainable rural tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.