Influence of the hiking tourscape on hikers' psychological restoration: the distinct mediating roles of place dependence and place identity.

BACKGROUND: Hiking restoration may be shaped not only by exposure to nature but also by the atmospheric, interpersonal, and activity-related features encountered along a route. This study examined how four dimensions of hiking tourscape, namely natural dimension, atmosphere dimension, hospitality culture, and experiential activities, were associated with psychological restoration. It further investigated whether place dependence and place identity provided distinct mediating pathways. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 452 hikers at two hiking destinations in Zunyi, China. The measurement structure was examined using principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesised direct relationships, and bootstrap analysis with 5,000 resamples was conducted to evaluate the specific indirect effects through place dependence and place identity. RESULTS: Natural dimension, atmosphere dimension, hospitality culture, and experiential activities were all positively associated with psychological restoration, with hospitality culture showing the strongest direct association. Natural dimension, atmosphere dimension, and hospitality culture were positively associated with place dependence, whereas experiential activities were not. Place dependence showed a marginal but nonsignificant direct association with psychological restoration, while place identity was not significantly associated with psychological restoration. The specific indirect effects through place dependence were significant for natural dimension, atmosphere dimension, and hospitality culture, but not for experiential activities. In contrast, none of the four hiking tourscape dimensions was significantly associated with place identity, and no indirect effects through place identity were identified. CONCLUSION: Restorative hiking experiences are associated with a multidimensional combination of natural, atmospheric, interpersonal, and activity-related features. The findings also show that place dependence and place identity perform different psychological functions. Functional suitability provided a selective pathway linking several tourscape dimensions with restoration, whereas symbolic identification did not provide an additional explanatory pathway in the present sample. These findings support treating place attachment as a multidimensional rather than uniform mechanism. Given the cross-sectional design, convenience sampling, and predominantly young and university-educated sample, causal and broader generalisations should be made cautiously.