Exploring the segmentation of Chinese recreational divers based on recreational specialization

Recreational specialization has been a crucial theoretical concept in understanding tourists’ traveling preferences. However, few studies have utilized this concept to explore the potential variations in divers’ preferences for diving, including their sociodemographic characteristics. This limitation is especially relevant to Hong Kong’s scuba diving tourism industry, as a perceivable absence of focus on understanding the factors determining divers’ preferences has been documented, particularly among Chinese scuba divers. Considering this theoretical gap, this study collected data from 398 divers at four of Hong Kong’s popular dive locations to narrow this research gap. Methodologically, k-means cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, and an independent sample t-test were utilized in analyzing the data to assist in answering the research questions of whether any significant difference between divers’ sociodemographic features and their preferences could be observed across the possible divers’ market segments, based on their levels of specialization. The results demonstrated that two Chinese scuba diver segments in Hong Kong could be identified based on their levels of specialization, including a cluster of “advanced divers” and another of “novice divers”. In addition, divers’ sociodemographic characteristics and preferences for diving have also shown a substantial variation between the two distinct market-based specialization segments. Based on these findings, research implications and limitations were systematically discussed and addressed, aiming to provide meaningful practical and theoretical support for future studies.