Motivations of Adventure Recreation in an Emerging Market: Scale Development and an Empirical Study on Mainland Chinese Enthusiasts

China has been recognized as one of the world's largest tourism markets. However, relatively little attention has been given to this market as potential sources of adventure recreation (AR). Based on in-depth interviews of 31 AR enthusiasts, a pilot online study, and a final survey of 202 Chinese AR enthusiasts, an AR Participating Motivation Scale (PMS) for the Chinese market was developed for the first time and five distinctive motivation factors were identified. The similarities and differences between Chinese and Western AR motivation were discussed. It is hoped to highlight a useful approach to understand Chinese enthusiasts' diverse psychological demand.