Integrating means-end chains and the Kano model to understand tourists’ cognitive structure toward leisure and recreational resources of suburban-mountains

This study integrates the means-end chain (MEC) theory and Kano model to better understand tourists’ inner thinking toward the leisure and recreation resources of suburban-mountains, and help in prioritizing decisions on mountain recreational resource management for the government and related managerial officers. A total of 303 valid responses from individuals aged over 50 years with the habit of hiking in this area at least once a week were collected for MEC and Kano analyses. The results of the hybrid hierarchical value map show that one-dimensional attributes (i.e. “water resources, “providing cultural and educational facilities,” “providing hiking trails,” “providing scenic overlook and pavilion,” “providing guardrails,” and “providing resting area”) are the priorities that the government and managers should pay the most attention to for the elderly people hiking the suburban-mountains. By following the same deduction process proposed in this study, the rest of the one-dimensional consequences and values can be depicted. Finally, the theoretical and managerial implications as well as the limitations of this work are also provided. This study can not only enrich the theoretical development of MEC theory, but also provide the government with valuable information to enhance the leisure and recreation resources of suburban-mountain areas for elderly tourists.