A Study on the Cultural-Tourism Integration and Sustainable Development of Rural Educational Research Camp in China

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

With the comprehensive advancement of the rural revitalisation strategy and the sustained guidance of policies promoting the deep integration of culture and tourism, rural study-travel bases—as emerging models that organically combine educational functions with rural resources— are gradually becoming important vehicles for facilitating the flow of urban-rural elements, revitalising the value of local culture, and expanding the scope of quality education. Leveraging their unique natural ecosystems, agricultural heritage, traditional crafts, and folk cultural resources, rural areas are actively exploring the “study-travel + rural” development model, yielding numerous representative case studies. However, alongside rapid growth, these bases have exposed deep-seated issues, such as a homogenised curriculum, monotonous operational models, and inconsistent service quality, which constrain their capacity for sustainable development.

This study centers on the innovation and sustainable development of rural study-tour bases, focusing on their development pathways and underlying mechanisms within the context of cultural-tourism integration. It aims to systematically analyze key challenges and optimization strategies in resource integration, functional positioning, stakeholder coordination, and long-term operations. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining literature review, questionnaire surveys, and case studies, three representative bases were selected for analysis: Zhejiang Lishui Songyang (cultural heritage-based), and Beijing Pinggu Science and Technology Agriculture Base (science and technology agriculture-based). Through field visits, multi-source data collection, and structured questionnaires, it systematically examines the common characteristics and differentiated logic across different resource endowment bases in dimensions such as curriculum design, organizational operations, and social participation.

Three core trends currently define the development of China's rural study-travel bases: First, functional diversification, shifting from single-purpose sightseeing to multifunctional spaces integrating education, experiential learning, leisure, and cultural dissemination. Second, technological empowerment, with digital tools and modern management concepts deeply embedded throughout curriculum implementation and service delivery. Third, urban-rural resource exchange, where high-quality urban educational resources and distinctive rural cultural assets mutually empower each other, driving deeper urban-rural integration. However, most bases still face the prominent issue of weak core competitiveness, manifested in: lack of systematic and innovative curriculum design that fails to deeply explore the core essence of local culture; lagging infrastructure development that struggles to accommodate the reception needs of diverse groups; scarcity of professional teaching staff, leading to inconsistent teaching quality and learning outcomes; low community resident participation, insufficient enthusiasm and sense of belonging among local stakeholders, and an incomplete balance mechanism between ecological conservation and development.

To address these challenges, this study proposes systematic solutions across six dimensions: First, in curriculum development, deeply integrate local cultural elements to enhance the professionalism and appeal of educational content. Second, in infrastructure and service systems, establish standardized service processes that balance human-centered care with personalized experiences. Third, in faculty development, build a professional training system to create a sustainable talent support mechanism. Fourth, in market competitiveness enhancement, implementing differentiated positioning and brand development strategies while strengthening word-of-mouth promotion and refined customer relationship management. Fifth, in sustainable development mechanisms, integrating environmental education throughout the entire study tour process to achieve synergistic benefits between ecological conservation and educational functions. Sixth, in policy and institutional frameworks, constructing a tripartite governance system of “ national guidance-local implementation-industry self-regulation,” promoting the introduction of specialized support policies, and establishing dynamic adjustment and oversight mechanisms.

The theoretical value of this study lies in constructing a “ resource conversion-stakeholder coordination-functional implementation” framework, providing a new paradigm for theoretical integration in the field of rural study tours and filling a gap in interdisciplinary research. Empirically, it quantifies the “ depth index of cultural-tourism integration”and the“sustainable development impact factor” for the first time. Its practical value lies in providing operators with “category-specific manuals” and policymakers with quantifiable metrics such as “curriculum cultural proportion” and “community revenue share,” driving the industry's transition from extensive growth to quality enhancement. Future work will incorporate case studies on red culture in central and western regions and plateau agriculture, while deepening explorations into digital technology applications like AI-driven curriculum design and blockchain-based benefit distribution.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER1. Introduction. 1
• 1.1 Research Background. 1
• 1.2 Research Objectives. 3
• 1.3 Research Methods 5
• 1.4 Research Content. 8
• 1.5 Overview of Previous Research at Home and Abroad. 9
• 1.6 Research Innovation Points 19
• 1.7 Research Technical Route 21
• CHAPTER2. Related concepts and theoretical basis. 22
• 2.1 Definition of Relevant Concepts 22
• 2.1.1 Concept and characteristics of rural tourism 22
• 2.1.2 Concept and Characteristics of Study Tours. 24
• 2.1.3 Concept and Characteristics of Rural Study and Research Bases 27
• 2.1.4 Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development Concepts. 31
• 2.2 The concept, mechanism, and driving factors of cultural and tourism integration 33
• 2.2.1 Basic Concepts of Cultural and Tourism Integration. 33
• 2.2.2 The inherent mechanisms and driving factors of cultural and tourism integration. 35
• 2.3 Symbiosis Theory Concept and Its Application in the Cultural Tourism Industry 39
• 2.3.1 Concept of Symbiosis Theory 39
• 2.3.2 Application of Symbiosis Theory in the Cultural Tourism Industry 43
• 2.4 Stakeholder Theory and Application 44
• 2.4.1 The Origin and Development of Stakeholder Theory 44
• 2.4.2 Application of Stakeholder Theory 47
• CHAPTER3. Analysis of the Current Development Status of Rural Study and Research Bases in China . 51
• 3.1 The Diversified Development of Rural Study and Research Bases in China Driven by Policy 51
• 3.1.1 Integrating Study Tours into the Education System. 52
• 3.1.2 The diversified development trend of study tour and cultural tourism bases. 56
• 3.1.3 Comprehensive growth in market demand . 60
• 3.2 Innovative Exploration of Rural Study and Research Bases in China . 63
• 3.2.1 Smart cultural tourism technology empowers study tour practice . 64
• 3.2.2 Sustainable Development of Rural Study and Research Bases 68
• CHAPTER4.Case Studies of Rural Study Bases in China 72
• 4.1 Case Study Subject Selection and Survey Design . 72
• 4.1.1 Case Selection 73
• 4.1.2 Survey Design 73
• 4.2 Study of Nanjing Wuxiang Natural Rural Study and Cultural Tourism Base 75
• 4.2.1 Overview of the Base and Analysis of Study Groups 75
• 4.2.2 Analysis of Base Operation Model. 82
• 4.2.3 Analysis of Base Integration Mechanism. 85
• 4.2.4 Analysis of the symbiotic mechanism of the base 88
• 4.2.5 Stakeholder Analysis of the Base . 90
• 4.3 Analysis of Cultural Heritage-Oriented Rural Study and Cultural Tourism Base in Songyang, Zhejiang 93
• 4.3.1 Overview of the Base and Analysis of Study Groups 93
• 4.3.2 Analysis of Base Operation Model. 100
• 4.3.3 Analysis of Base Integration Mechanism. 104
• 4.3.4 Analysis of the symbiotic mechanism of the base 107
• 4.3.5 Stakeholder Analysis of the Base . 111
• 4.4 Analysis of the Science and Technology Agriculture-Based Rural Study and Cultural Tourism Base in Pinggu District, Beijing. 113
• 4.4.1 Overview of the North Base and Analysis of Study Groups 113
• 4.4.2 Analysis of Base Operation Model. 119
• 4.4.3 Analysis of Base Integration Mechanism. 122
• 4.4.4 Analysis of the symbiotic mechanism of the base 126
• 4.4.5 Stakeholder Analysis of the Base . 129
• 4.4.6 Multi-dimensional Comparison of Three Typical Cases of Rural Study-Travel Bases in China . 132
• 4.5 Problems Faced by Rural Study and Research Bases in China . 135
• 4.5.1 The courses are highly homogenized. 135
• 4.5.2 Uneven development of infrastructure and service levels 136
• 4.5.3 The teaching staff and teaching quality urgently need to be improved 137
• 4.5.4 Weak market competitiveness and operational sustainability 138
• 4.5.5 The contradiction between environmental protection and resource development. 139
• 4.5.6 Lagging policies, regulations, and industry standards 140
• CHAPTER5. Suggestions on the Operation Model of Rural Study and Research Bases in China 143
• 5.1 Innovation and Diversification of Curriculum Content. 143
• 5.1.1 Construction and Dynamic Update of Age-Segmented Curriculum Matrix 143
• 5.1.2 In-depth exploration and creative transformation of local culture . 144
• 5.1.3 Experiential Learning Design and Immersive Context Creation. 145
• 5.2 Infrastructure Improvement and Service Quality Assurance . 146
• 5.2.1 Comprehensive upgrade and system optimization of infrastructure 146
• 5.2.2 Standardization and Personalization of Service Quality 148
• 5.2.3 Application of Technology Empowerment and Intelligent Management in Services 149
• 5.3 Improvement of Faculty and Education Quality 150
• 5.3.1 Professionalization and Diversified Development of Faculty 150
• 5.3.2 Construction of Teacher Training System and Continuous Capacity Building. 151
• 5.3.3 Improvement of the Education Quality Assessment System and Dynamic Feedback Mechanism 153
• 5.4 Enhance market competitiveness and brand differentiation 154
• 5.4.1 Precise Market Positioning and Differentiation Strategy Construction. 154
• 5.4.2 Brand Core Value Extraction and Communication System Optimization. 155
• 5.4.3 Strengthening Customer Relationship Management and Word-of-Mouth Marketing Mechanisms. 156
• 5.4.4 Establishment of an innovative curriculum development and dynamic optimization mechanism 157
• 5.4.5 Deepening Regional Cooperation and Resource Integration Strategies. 158
• 5.5 Promoting Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection 159
• 5.5.1 Construction and systematic implementation of the practical path of prioritizing ecological protection. 159
• 5.5.2 Integrated Design of Green Infrastructure and Low-Carbon Operation System 160
• 5.5.3 Multi-dimensional design strategies for integrating environmental education into study tour courses. 161
• 5.5.4 Collaborative Innovation of Community Participation and Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms. 162
• 5.5.5 Exploring the Circular Economy Model in the Entire Resource Utilization Chain 163
• 5.5.6 Dynamic Optimization of Long-Term Ecological Monitoring and Adaptive Management Mechanisms. 164
• 5.6 Promote the improvement of policies, regulations, and industry standards 165
• 5.6.1 Systematized Construction and Collaborative Implementation Mechanism of Policies and Regulations 165
• 5.6.2 Scientific formulation and full-chain coverage of industry standards 167
• 5.6.3 Dynamic optimization mechanism for policies, regulations, and industry standards. 169
• CHAPTER6. Conclusion. 172
• 6.1 Research Conclusions 172
• 6.2 Research Limitations 173
• 6.3 Research Prospects. 175
• References 178
• Appendix 194
• 국문초록 198