Yachting Tourism Consumption Potential and Its Influencing Factors: Considering 12 Coastal Cities in China as Examples

Releasing the consumption potential of yachting tourism is important for marine economic development. The purpose of the study is to evaluate a comprehensive potential index for yachting tourism (based on consumption capacity, expenditure, quality, and environment) in 12 cities in China with high development potential for coastal yachting tourism. Data from 2014, 2017, and 2019 were included in the study. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), entropy methods, and gray correlation analysis are applied in the study. A panel data regression model is used to estimate the factors affecting the consumption potential of yachting tourism. The results show that the consumption potential index of yachting tourism in China’s coastal cities has been continuously increasing, and the consumption potential is closely related to consumption quality and capacity. The consumption potential of yachting tourism is highest in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. The overall spatial pattern shows a gradual decrease in consumption potential in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region to the Yangtze River Delta region and the Bohai rim region.