Facilitator or Inhibitor: A Systemic Analysis of Rural Tourism’s Impacts on Rural Residents’ Multi-Dimensional Well-Being

As a multi-functional systemic carrier, rural tourism integrates diverse rural resources and serves as a key endogenous driver for sustainable rural development and the enhancement of rural residents’ livelihoods. However, excessive tourism development may lead to environmental pressures and exacerbate inequities in benefit distribution, rendering well-being gains uncertain. This study aims to explore the multidimensional mechanisms through which rural tourism influences rural residents’ well-being by utilizing national data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS). The results indicate that village-level tourism development exerts a positive effect on material and psychological well-being. Effects are particularly strong in eastern and hilly regions and in villages where the party secretary also serves as committee director. Further analysis identifies four channels through which rural tourism enhances well-being: fostering digital financial inclusion, advancing empowerment reforms, reallocating resources, and optimizing governance frameworks. Additionally, tourism development leads to improvements in indicators such as road quality, living environment, and satisfaction with village committee performance—while highlighting policy attention to social security, housing, and income satisfaction.