REVEALING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF RURAL TOURISM: EXPLORING TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE RESOURCES IN SARAWAK (MALAYSIA) AND HENAN PROVINCE (CHINA)
Authors:   University of Technology Sarawak, School of Business and Management, Centre on Technological Readiness and Innovation in Business Technopreneurship, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, CHIN Chee-Hua , CHAN Wei-Chiang ,   University of Technology Sarawak, School of Business and Management, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, MING Li ,   North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zheng Zhou, China, CHIN Chee-Ling ,   Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Faculty of Economics and Business, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
Published: January 2025

Tourism activities significantly impact a country’s economy, environment, community, and visitors. In the Malaysian
context, rural communities have adopted rural tourism as an alternative source of income. The competitiveness of a tourism
destination is crucial for the long-term profitability of rural tourism destinations. The tourism experience is a critical factor for
tourists when choosing a destination. Therefore, it is essential to focus not only on attractions but also on a destination’s
infrastructure, image, and hospitality. However, current literature lacks a single study that examines the impact of both tangible
and intangible resources on the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations, using mobile technology as a moderating variable
with a multi-group analysis approach. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the tangible and intangible tourism assets that
determine the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations, with the moderating effects of mobile technology use. The results
were then compared between Sarawak, Malaysia, and Henan province, China, to provide a better understanding of rural tourism
destination competitiveness in the Asia region. A total of 525 datasets were collected (233 from Sarawak and 292 from Henan)
for analysis in the current study. A partial least squares multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) was employed to compare Sarawak and
Henan. The results revealed a strong and positive correlation between rural tourism destination competitiveness and factors such
as destination appeal, destination image, and service quality. Furthermore, it was found that mobile technology use moderated the
relationship between destination image and rural tourism destination competitiveness. Theoretically, the findings contribute to
existing literature and the theory of competitiveness by offering additional insights into destination competitiveness. The
results also serve as an important reference for scholars interested in extending research on destination competitiveness,
particularly in the field of rural tourism. Practically, tourism practitioners in Sarawak, Malaysia, and Henan province, Chin a,
can use the findings as a reference for decision-making, especially in policy-making and marketing strategies. ICT developers
can also refer to this study when designing mobile technologies, with a focus on better integrating mobile technology into
tourism infrastructure. Finally, both the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.