Author(s)

Ye Pan¹, HaiGang Jia^2*

Affiliation(s)

¹Jiangsu Maritime Institute, Nanjing 211199, Jiangsu, China.

²Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China.

Corresponding Author

HaiGang Jia

ABSTRACT

In the context of the deep integration of rural revitalization strategy and digital technology, the digital transformation of rural tourism faces threefold dilemmas of efficiency, trust, and cultural preservation. This paper, taking blockchain technology as a starting point, systematically explores the internal logic and practical paths of its empowerment in rural tourism, aiming to construct a "technology-scenario-governance" collaborative framework to resolve structural contradictions in industrial development. The study is based on the Social-Technical Systems Theory (SST), adopting interdisciplinary research methods, and uses typical cases to demonstrate how blockchain technology drives high-quality development in rural tourism by reconstructing production relations. The study finds that blockchain technology, through mechanisms of "trusted data flow" and "autonomous smart contracts," reshapes the power structure, value transfer, and governance models in rural tourism. Its distributed ledger feature solves issues such as data islands and the loss of trust in stakeholders, while its DAO governance and Token economic models activate villagers' participation. The paper also proposes four-dimensional application scenarios covering trusted service chains, value co-creation chains, green governance chains, and inclusive finance chains, achieving the reconstruction of consumption scenarios, cultural IP development, ecological supervision optimization, and investment and financing innovation through technological integration. Furthermore, the paper warns of three major challenges for the technology’s implementation: the gap between computing power and rural infrastructure, the institutional coupling difficulties between on-chain and off-chain systems, and the conflict between technological rationality and rural ethics. It proposes a "lightweight blockchain + edge computing" technical solution and designs a "multi-party chain governance committee" system to balance the rights and responsibilities of government, enterprises, and villagers, incorporating "ethical coding" into the design of technology to embed rural culture. Future research should focus on the integration of the metaverse, AI, and blockchain technologies, enhancing service personalization while preventing cultural alienation risks, thus providing solutions for rural common prosperity that combine technological innovation with the protection of cultural roots.

KEYWORDS

Blockchain technology; Rural tourism; Application scenarios

CITE THIS PAPER

Ye Pan, HaiGang Jia. Blockchain technology empowering rural tourism: application scenarios and solutions. Journal of Trends in Financial and Economics. 2025, 2(1): 36-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/jtfe3032.

REFERENCES

[1] Xu Hong. Research on the dilemma and breakthrough path of high-quality development of rural tourism. Issues in Agricultural Economy, 2022, 43(2): 45-54.

[2] Zhang Fei. Research on the digital transformation of rural tourism driven by new technologies. Rural Economy and Science and Technology, 2022, 33(7): 89-93.

[3] Deng Shu. Process reconstruction and risk analysis of blockchain-enabled rural tourism. Economic Geography, 2022, 42(6): 112-119.

[4] Li Dan. Research on the impact of blockchain technology on tourism public services. Tourism Science, 2021, 35(4): 23-30.

[5] Wang Chaohui. Application path of blockchain technology in rural tourism financing. Financial Theory and Practice, 2021, 43(9): 55-61.

[6] Ming Qingzhong, Wei Junfeng. Analysis on the high-quality development of smart tourism enabled by “blockchain+”. Academic Exploration, 2021, (09): 48-54.

[7] Xu Xiaolin, Li Haibo, Ma Min. Blockchain + tourism services: innovation prospects and potential challenges. Chinese Public Administration, 2019, (04): 53-57+78.

[8] Shang Jie, Chen Ximing. Integration of blockchain and agricultural industrial chain under the background of comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. Theoretical Discussion, 2022, (01): 159-164.

[9] Zuo Zhenglong. Research on the “blockchain + contract chain” green financing model serving rural revitalization—from the perspective of contract economics. Contemporary Economic Management, 2021, 43(09): 81-88.

[10] Ministry of Culture and Tourism. China Rural Tourism Development Report 2022. Beijing: China Tourism Press, 2023.

[11] China Rural Tourism Digital Development Report (2023). Beijing: National Rural Tourism Data Center, 2023.

[12] Nakamoto S. Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Decentralized Business Review, 2008: 1-9.