When does hybrid governance deliver justice? Norm-practice coupling in China’s mountain tourism

Within the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework, environmental justice in mountain tourism governance has become critical for balancing conservation and community livelihoods. This study examines when hybrid governance in strong-state contexts delivers environmental justice, using a case study of Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site focused on mountain tourism in China. Applying the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework and norm-practice coupling, we investigate how local justice norms align with tourism‑related management practices and how these mechanisms sustain or undermine alignment. Based on surveys and interviews in four gateway communities, three findings emerge. Huangshan operates as authority-embedded collaborative management, achieving ecological restoration, livelihood transition, and perceived fairness without procedural autonomy. Local justice norms prioritize collective development and ecological priority, diverging from Western frameworks yet cohering with Confucian traditions. Norm-practice coupling is sustained by three mechanisms: institutional anchoring, perceptual alignment, and adaptive feedback, with coupling strength following a tourism-maturity gradient across gateway communities. The study adapts Ostrom’s IAD framework to state-led protected area governance, challenges tripartite justice frameworks with culturally specific forms, and shifts ecosystem services management analysis from static perceptions to dynamic coupling. Recognizing local justice norms, rather than imposing external templates, is key to effective ecosystem services management for mountain tourism destinations.