The Impact of Tourists' Perceptual Image on Behavioral Intentions Toward Small Town Landscapes: A Case Study of Niufu Town, Zigong City, China

Purpose - This study focuses on analyzing the key factors affecting the quality of the small town landscape and exploring the structural relationships among these factors, tourist satisfaction, and behavior. Design/methodology/approach - This study utilized Niufu Town in Zigong City, China, as a case study. Factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were employed to develop a conceptual model examining the relationship between tourists' perceived images and their behavioral intentions. Findings - The study identified and validated key dimensions of perceived image, with satisfaction acting as a mediating variable that influences behavioral intentions and ultimately enhances the town's tourism image. The findings indicate that the perceived tourism image in small towns consists of two primary dimensions: landscape comfort and experiential quality. These dimensions demonstrated path coefficients of 0.26 and 0.27, respectively, in their effects on satisfaction, and 0.34 and 0.38 in their influence on behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the path coefficient from satisfaction to behavioral intention was found to be 0.53. Research implications or Originality - These findings suggest that landscape comfort and experiential quality positively influence behavioral intentions through satisfaction, highlighting the significance of enhancing tourist satisfaction to foster favorable outcomes, including repeat visits and recommendations.