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Constructing the “we”: Rural tourism couple businesses

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  • Luo, Yilin
  • Sun, Jiuxia

Abstract

We investigate couple businesses in rural tourism and their implications for family functioning. Through in-depth interviews across five communities in Yangshuo and reflexive thematic analysis, we identify three structural characteristics of couple businesses: 1) task diversification to manage seasonal fluctuations; 2) collaborative patterns based on family roles; and 3) self-replicating domestic-workplace dynamics. We propose a frame in which the interaction of these characteristics enhances family cohesion, adaptability, and connectivity. We introduce “connectivity,” a crucial dimension of family functioning that sustains multigenerational family unity and fosters place-based cohesion. Our insights advance theoretical frameworks on work–family integration in rural tourism employment and underscore how tourism sustains rural familial structures, ultimately contributing to the discourse on family entrepreneurship and family functioning.

Suggested Citation

  • Luo, Yilin & Sun, Jiuxia, 2026. "Constructing the “we”: Rural tourism couple businesses," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:116:y:2026:i:c:s0160738325002038
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2025.104097
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