A quest for rural tourism sustainability along the Annapurna sanctuary trail in Nepal: a study of tourist satisfaction and loyalty

Tourist loyalty is essential for sustaining rural tourism destinations, particularly in fragile mountain environments. This study investigates the key destination elements—attractions, accessibility, accommodation, amenities, and awareness (5As), assesses tourist satisfaction, and identifies the factors influencing tourist loyalty along the Annapurna Sanctuary Trail, a prominent trekking route leading to the base camp of Mount Annapurna (8,091 m). Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey of domestic and international tourists (n = 100). Descriptive statistics, spider charts, Fisher’s exact test, Mann–Whitney test, multiple linear regression, and path analysis were employed to examine destination attributes, satisfaction levels, and loyalty determinants. The results indicate that domestic and international tourists share similar perceptions of the 5As, except for accessibility and awareness. Overall, tourists reported high satisfaction and a strong intention to recommend the destination. Path analysis reveals that attractions, accommodation, awareness, and accessibility significantly influence tourist loyalty both directly and indirectly through overall satisfaction, whereas amenities exert only a direct effect. The findings contribute theoretically by empirically validating the mediating role of tourist satisfaction between destination attributes and loyalty in a rural trekking context. Practically, the study provides actionable insights for destination planners, local governments, and tourism service providers, emphasizing the need to prioritize improvements in accommodation quality, primary health services, road and footpath conditions, waste management, transport services, and digital connectivity. These targeted interventions are critical for enhancing tourist loyalty, promoting domestic tourism, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of rural mountain destinations.