Niche tourism experiences: Exploring county-level tourism consumption in China

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore tourists’ experiences in niche county-level destinations and to develop a conceptual framework linking destination attributes to tourist needs. Three Chinese county-level destinations Anji, Tonglu, and Dujiangyan were selected as case sites. A mixed qualitative approach was employed, integrating semi-structured interviews with netnographic data collected from social media platforms, including Rednote and Sina Weibo. Specifically, 118 social-media posts and 17 interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and triangulated across data sources. The findings reveal how destination’s intrinsic and extrinsic attributes interact with tourists’ intrinsic and extrinsic needs. Elements of destination attributes include natural environment, local food, cultural heritage, county pace of lifestyles, and elements of tourist needs such as relaxation, emotion, escape, and social activities. It generates seven distinct experience types: sightseeing experience, adventure experience, eating-food experience, emotional experience, culture and heritage experience, social interactive experience, and media-ritual experience. Theoretically, this study advances experience theory by integrating motivational perspectives with place-based attributes, thereby deepening the understanding of niche tourism in county-level destinations. Practically, the framework connecting destination attributes with tourist needs, along with the typology of niche county-level experiences, provides international insights for advancing niche tourism development. It also provides destination managers with tools to segment visitors, guide product innovation, and design branding and social-media strategies.