Rural stay: a new type of rural tourism in China

Rural stay, referring to urban dwellers staying in rural areas temporarily, with tourism activities as a supplement, is an emerging form of urban-rural mobility in China. Through exploring the visitors’ motives and resulting activities, this study aims to reveal the uniqueness of rural stay in China that has received little attention currently. Using a mixed methodology, empirical results show that rural stay intersects with various mobilities in terms of some common characteristics and motivations. Its uniqueness, however, is closely related to the China-specific macroeconomic context and embedded social and cultural values. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.