Nature-based tourism development in Hong Kong: Importance-Performance perceptions of local residents and tourists

This paper discusses the potential and the sustainability of developing nature-based tourism in Hong Kong based on local resident and tourist perspectives. Two separate demand-side and supply-side indicator sets are empirically tested with two samples of Hong Kong residents (n=97) and tourists (n=93). Both the levels of importance and performance of these indicators are rated by the respondents, and the importance-performance differences are verified. Two resultant grids from the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) present the condition of nature-based tourism in Hong Kong. The performance scores are further entered into regression analysis, which generates two separate demand-side and supply-side models revealing the satisfaction of the locals and the tourists. The findings offer both theoretical construct and policy recommendations for the development and sustainability of nature-based tourism in Hong Kong. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.