Knowledge Dynamics in Rural Tourism Supply Chains: Challenges, Innovations, and Cross-Sector Applications

This study explores the concept and practical application of green supply chains within ecotourism and rural tourism, drawing valuable insights from X Town, China. Here, we redefine ecotourism as encompassing natural and human ecological systems, recognizing its increasing popularity. Notably, we present a green supply chain model for rural tourism, functioning as a comprehensive management system centered on ecological protection and the interconnected optimization of five key chains: information, logistics, capital, knowledge, and service. By analyzing the X Town model, we dissect its five crucial elements. The information chain prioritizes streamlined data flow for optimal decision-making. The logistic chain focuses on robust infrastructure and green product channels for enhanced delivery. The capital chain ensures strategic financial support through a combination of government allocations, social capital, and dedicated credit cards. The knowledge chain fosters innovation and best practices through dynamic knowledge-sharing initiatives. Finally, the service chain prioritizes high-quality tourism experiences alongside robust environmental protection efforts. Using advanced evaluation methods, we assess the performance of X Town’s green supply chain. While the overall score is impressive (89.052), highlighting its success, room for improvement remains, particularly in the service chain (86.582). This indicates the need for further investment in enhancing tourism service quality and environmental protection measures. This analysis provides valuable insights for X Town’s future development, including service chain improvement recommendations, and contributes to the broader understanding of green supply chain management in rural tourism. This data-driven analysis helps policymakers and researchers, and the X Town model may inspire sustainable rural tourism development in other regions.