How Outdoor Guide Service Quality Influences Tourist Satisfaction: A Chain Mediation Model in Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism, a rapidly growing leisure sector, has increased scholarly interest in tourists’ risk perception and how it is managed during high-uncertainty experiences. Yet, the links between outdoor guide service quality and tourist satisfaction remain underexplored. Drawing on the Quality-Risk-Value-Satisfaction (QRVS) framework, this study examines how outdoor guide service quality shapes satisfaction. Results show that high-quality outdoor guide services significantly enhance satisfaction, with non-personal risk perception as the main mediator, followed by perceived value and personal risk perception. Risk perception and perceived value also operate sequentially, forming a chain-mediating process. Tourist satisfaction is determined by the tradeoff between risk and value. In addition, tourists’ prior knowledge weakens the negative effect of service quality on non-personal risk perception, while female tourists’ higher risk perception does not lower their perceived value or satisfaction. These findings extend adventure tourism risk management theory and offer practical guidance for managing service delivery and optimizing tourist experiences in risk-laden environments.