Associations Between Perceived Authenticity and Tourist Loyalty in Rural Sports Event Tourism: Evidence from the “Village Super League” in Rongjiang, China

Rural sports event tourism integrates sports, culture, and rural tourism, yet the relationships between perceived authenticity and tourist loyalty remain insufficiently understood.Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, this study examined the structural associations among perceived authenticity, perceived value, emotional resonance, place attachment, and loyalty intentions in the context of the "Village Super League" in Rongjiang, Guizhou Province, while also considering the moderating role of tourism involvement.A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using non-probability purposive-convenience sampling.Researchers recruited respondents at the event venue, tourist gathering areas, and through WeChat visitor groups, using screening questions to confirm relevant event experience.Of 500 questionnaires distributed or accessed, 438 valid responses were retained.Reliability and validity testing, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and moderation analysis were conducted.The results showed that event authenticity and cultural authenticity were positively associated with perceived value, which was positively associated with emotional resonance.Emotional resonance was positively related to place attachment, while place attachment was positively associated with recommendation and revisit intentions.In addition, the positive association between perceived value and emotional resonance was stronger among tourists with higher levels of tourism involvement.These findings support a pattern of structural relationships consistent with the SOR framework and provide practical implications for preserving authenticity and strengthening meaningful visitor experiences in rural sports event tourism.Given the cross-sectional design and non-probability sampling, interpret the findings as associations rather than causal relationships.