Research on World Agricultural Economy

Integrating Mongolian Culture into Agro-Tourism for Rural Income Growth: Evidence from Gongjiban Village, Inner Mongolia

Jieqiong Jiao

Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin Renai College, Tianjin 301636, China

Nurhayati Abdul Malek

College of Build Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam 40450, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i4.2409

Received: 1 July 2025 | Revised: 21 July 2025 | Accepted: 31 July 2025 | Published Online: 15 September 2025

---

Abstract

This study discusses the impact of cultural influences within conventional Mongolian settings on rural income generation through agro-tourism in Gongjiban Village, Inner Mongolia. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the theoretical model discusses Cultural Identification (CI) and Emotional Response (ER) as antecedents to Behavioral Intention (BI) for income-generating participation. Data were collected according to a structured survey of 110 residents, officials, and rural entrepreneurs, and the model was estimated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS–SEM) with mediation analysis. Results show that CI and ER have a strong impact on BI, which in turn predicts Economic Engagement (EE) in agro-tourism enterprises, culturally branded product production, and participation in festival-based markets. BI serves as a mediating process, translating cultural identity and emotional incentive into tangible economic behaviors. While the study is empirically grounded in Gongjiban Village, its implications depict the broader applicability of culture-based embedded agro-tourism to diversify family incomes, enhance value chain inclusion, and drive economic resilience in ethnic minority regions. Policy implications reinforce the significance of integrating cultural capital into rural development planning. Contextualized responses are called for to maximize economic viability without sacrificing intangible cultural heritage, offering pragmatic lessons to policymakers, rural planners, and local actors.

Keywords: Agro–Tourism Economy; Rural Income Growth; Mongolian Cultural Integration; Behavioral Intention; TPB; Cultural Identiϐication

---

References

[1] Liu, Y., Qiao, J., Xiao, J., et al., 2022. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Rural Revitalization and an Improvement Path: A Typical Old Revolutionary Cultural Area as an Example. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19(20), 13494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013494

[2] Fu, L., Xu, Z., Chen, Q., Zhang, Q., & Zou, Z. (2023). Research on the integrated development of agriculture and tourism in Inner Mongolia. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26, 14877–14892. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03224-x

[3] Li, W., Zhou, Y., Zhang, Z., 2021. Culture-Led Plan for Peri-Urban Agricultural Sustainability: A Case of Pu’an Village in China. Land. 10(3), 242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030242

[4] Giaccio, V., Giannelli, A., Mastronardi, L., 2018. Explaining determinants of Agri-tourism income: evidence from Italy. Tourism Review. 73(2), 216–229. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-05-2017-0089

[5] Fleischer, A., Tchetchik, A., 2005. Does rural tourism benefit from agriculture? Tourism Management. 26(4), 493–501. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.10.003

[6] Ajzen, I., 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 50(2), 179–211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

[7] Hagger, M. S., Chan, D. K. C., Protogerou, C., Hamilton, K., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. D. (2024). Longitudinal tests of the theory of planned behaviour: A comprehensive meta-analysis of intention–behaviour consistency. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 54(3), 139–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2023.2225897

[8] Babbie, E.R., 2020. The practice of social research, 15th ed. Cengage Learning: Boston, MA, USA.

[9] Brouder, P., 2012. Tourism Development Against the Odds: The Tenacity of Tourism in Rural Areas. Tourism Planning & Development. 9(4), 333–337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2012.726259

[10] Csurgó, B., Smith, M.K., 2022. Cultural Heritage, Sense of Place and Tourism: An Analysis of Cultural Ecosystem Services in Rural Hungary. Sustainability. 14(12), 7305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127305

[11] Santoro, A., 2024. Why traditional rural landscapes are still important to our future. Landscape Ecology. 39(8), 135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01940-x

[12] Su, X., Teo, P., 2009. The Politics of Heritage Tourism in China, 1st ed. Routledge: London, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203873687

[13] Long, H., 2014. Land consolidation: An indispensable way of spatial restructuring in rural China. Journal of Geographical Sciences. 24(2), 211–225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-014-1083-5

[14] Qian, J., Li, X., 2024. Perceived Value, Place Identity, and Behavioral Intention: An Investigation on the Influence Mechanism of Sustainable Development in Rural Tourism. Sustainability. 16(4), 1583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041583

[15] Tabares, A., Londoño-Pineda, A., Cano, J. A., & Gómez-Montoya, R. (2022). Rural entrepreneurship: An analysis of current and emerging issues from the sustainable livelihood framework. Economies, 10(6), 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10060142

[16] Kim, H., Karpova, E., 2021. Consumer motivations for purchasing counterfeit goods in the digital age: Implications for brand managers. Fashion and Textiles. 8(1), 1–19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-021-00245-4

[17] Zhang, Y., Jin, S., Lin, W., 2023. Would consumers help achieve sustainable development in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau with a forage–livestock balance certification label? China Agricultural Economic Review. 15(2), 345–374. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-05-2022-0104

[18] Hosseini, S.N., Borimnejad, V., Rahmani-Fazli, H., et al., 2025. Evaluating the potentials and challenges of agritourism development in Golestan Province, Iran: a clustering and risk analysis. Discover Sustainability. 6(1), 122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-00812-x

[19] OECD, 2016. A New Rural Development Paradigm for the 21st Century: A Toolkit for Developing Countries, Development Centre Studies. OECD. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264252271-en

[20] Tajfel, H., Turner, J.C., 1986. The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In: Worchel, S., Austin, W.G. (Eds.). Psychology of Intergroup Relations Nelson-Hall: Chicago, IL, USA. pp. 7–24.

[21] Oyserman, D., Smith, G.C., Elmore, K., 2014. Identity‐Based Motivation: Implications for Health and Health Disparities. Journal of Social Issues. 70(2), 206–225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12056

[22] Bagozzi, R.P., Gopinath, M., Nyer, P.U., 1999. The Role of Emotions in Marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 27(2), 184–206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070399272005

[23] Tolkach, D., Pratt, S., Zeng, C.Y.H., 2017. Ethics of Chinese & Western tourists in Hong Kong. Annals of Tourism Research. 63, 83–96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.01.004

[24] Liu, Q., Wang, X., 2023. The impact of brand trust on consumers’ behavior toward agricultural products’ regional public brand. PLOS ONE. 18(11), e0295133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295133

[25] Wauters, E., Bielders, C., Poesen, J., et al., 2010. Adoption of soil conservation practices in Belgium: An examination of the theory of planned behaviour in the agri-environmental domain. Land Use Policy. 27(1), 86–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2009.02.009

[26] Fielding, K.S., McDonald, R., Louis, W.R., 2008. Theory of planned behaviour, identity and intentions to engage in environmental activism. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 28(4), 318–326. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.03.003

[27] Zhao, Z., Li, Z., Chen, C., 2022. Reliving the Old Dream: Rural Tourism Autobiographical Memory on Behavioral Intention. Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 736637. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.736637

[28] Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., et al., 2019. When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review. 31(1), 2–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

[29] Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M., 2015. A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 43(1), 115–135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

[30] Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., et al., 2019. A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), 2nd ed. Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.

[31] Beaton, D.E., Bombardier, C., Guillemin, F., et al., 2000. Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Report Measures: Spine. 25(24), 3186–3191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00007632-200012150-00014

[32] Oyserman, D., 2020. Culture as situated cognition. In: Kitayama, S., Cohen, D. (Eds.). Handbook of cultural psychology , 2nd ed. Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA. pp. 395–417.

[33] Fishbein, M., Ajzen, I., 2011. Predicting and Changing Behavior. Psychology Press: New York, NY, USA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203838020

[34] Baron, R.M., Kenny, D.A., 1986. The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 51(6), 1173–1182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173

[35] Churchill, G.A., 1979. A Paradigm for Developing Better Measures of Marketing Constructs. Journal of Marketing Research. 16(1), 64–73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377901600110

[36] Fornell, C., Larcker, D.F., 1981. Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research. 18(1), 39–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

[37] Texas A&M International University, Kock, N., Lynn, G., et al., 2012. Lateral Collinearity and Misleading Results in Variance-Based SEM: An Illustration and Recommendations. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 13(7), 546–580. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00302

[38] Hayes, A.F., 2022. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach, 3rd ed. Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA.

[39] Sarstedt, M., Cheah, J.-H., 2019. Partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS: a software review. Journal of Marketing Analytics. 7(3), 196–202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-019-00058-3

[40] Beedell, J., Rehman, T., 2000. Using social-psychology models to understand farmers’ conservation behaviour. Journal of Rural Studies. 16(1), 117–127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0743-0167(99)00043-1

[41] Wozniak, D., MacNeill, T., 2020. Racial discrimination in the lab: Evidence of statistical and taste-based discrimination. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics. 85, 101512. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2020.101512

[42] National Development and Reform Commission, 2021. The outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2021–2025) and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 of the People’s Republic of China. NDRC. Available from https://en.ndrc.gov.cn/policies/202203/P020220315511326748336.pdf

[43] Barbieri, C., Mahoney, E., 2009. Why is diversification an attractive farm adjustment strategy? Insights from Texas farmers and ranchers. Journal of Rural Studies. 25(1), 58–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2008.06.001

[44] Van Der Ploeg, J.D., 2000. Revitalizing Agriculture: Farming Economically as Starting Ground for Rural Development. Sociologia Ruralis. 40(4), 497–511. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00163

[45] United Nations Development Programme, 2022. UNDP annual report 2022. United Nations Development Programme. Available from: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2024-11/undp_annual_report_2022-final_final.pdf

[46] Kastenholz, E., Carneiro, M.J., Peixeira Marques, C., et al., 2012. Understanding and managing the rural tourism experience — The case of a historical village in Portugal. Tourism Management Perspectives. 4, 207–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2012.08.009

[47] Richards, G., Wilson, J., 2007. Tourism, creativity and development. Routledge: London, UK.

[48] Ajzen, I., 2002. Perceived Behavioral Control, Self‐Efficacy, Locus of Control, and the Theory of Planned Behavior1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 32(4), 665–683. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb00236.x

[49] Utami, D.D., Dhewanto, W., Lestari, Y.D., 2023. Rural tourism entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review on resources and challenges. African Journal of Hospitality. Tourism and Leisure. 12(4), 1322–1344. Available from: https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_10_12_4_1322-1344.pdf

[50] Garrod, B., Wornell, R., Youell, R., 2006. Re-conceptualising rural resources as countryside capital: The case of rural tourism. Journal of Rural Studies. 22(1), 117–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2005.08.001

[51] OECD, 2020. Rural Well-being: Geography of Opportunities, OECD Rural Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/d25cef80-en

[52] Preacher, K.J., Hayes, A.F., 2008. Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods. 40(3), 879–891. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879

[53] Wen, T., Leung, X.Y., Li, B., et al., 2021. Examining framing effect in travel package purchase: An application of double-entry mental accounting theory. Annals of Tourism Research. 90, 103265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103265

[54] Pan, Y., Piras, F., Wang, Z., et al., 2025. A methodological framework for identifying traditional rural landscapes based on environmental, cultural, and socio-economic indicators - the case study of China. Scientific Reports. 15(1), 18650. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04133-x