This study examines the factors influencing visitor satisfaction in rural tourism within the Danube region, a significant area for sustainable tourism in Central and Eastern Europe. The research aims to assess the impact of sustainability practices, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, service quality, and demographic factors on tourist satisfaction, motivated by the growing emphasis on sustainability aligned with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). A quantitative approach was employed, using an online survey distributed in Hungarian and Slovak to ensure inclusivity. Snowball sampling resulted in 255 valid responses from tourists familiar with the region. Data analysis included Chi-square tests, Spearman’s rank correlation, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and multiple linear regression, using Microsoft Excel for data coding and SPSS software for in-depth statistical analysis. The findings suggest that a majority of respondents perceive a need for improvement in sustainability practices, while many consider CSR initiatives to have a significant influence on their overall satisfaction. A positive correlation was found between awareness of sustainability initiatives and service preferences. Disparities emerged between perceived and expected service quality. Regression analysis identified expectation-shaping factors and facility satisfaction as key predictors of overall satisfaction, with no significant impact from price-value perceptions. This study contributes to rural tourism literature by integrating sustainability perceptions, service quality, and demographics into a comprehensive satisfaction model. The findings provide empirical insights for enhancing service quality and adopting sustainable practices, supporting the EUSDR’s objectives. Future research could expand the scope by including additional regions or employing a larger sample size to validate the findings further and provide a broader understanding of satisfaction determinants in rural tourism.
Boros et al. (Sun,) studied this question.