Local perception and preferences in nature tourism in Hong Kong

•A sampled local residents show moderate overall interest in domestic nature tourism relatively.•Domestic nature tourists in Hong Kong is composed of relatively older, better educated and higher income people.•Local residents consider the promotion and expansion of infrastructure can improve nature tourism attractiveness.•Hong Kong residents display divergent attitudes towards promoting nature tourism to the Mainland visitors.

This paper explores local perception and preferences concerning the development of nature tourism in Hong Kong. The results of a sample of local residents (n = 376) confirm a domestic market of relatively older, better educated and higher income residents who generally display a moderate overall interest in nature tourism. From the perspectives of host and user, local residents consider the promotion and expansion of infrastructure to be important for increasing the attractiveness of nature tourism. However, the respondents also take divergent attitudes towards promoting nature tourism to the Mainland visitors, such that three distinctive groups are identified. The conflicting views of local people on nature tourism, and low confidence in the government's ability to handle tourism impact, create a considerable obstacle and unsuitable timing for the development of nature tourism in Hong Kong, unless it is coupled with an ease in tensions and the presence of a long-term nature tourism strategy.