In the context of the global tourism industry’s transition towards an experience economy, rural tourism destinations possess abundant natural and cultural resources. However, a cognitive gap remains between the perspectives of expert planners and the perceived needs of visitors. This study hypothesises that this cognitive disparity is a key factor constraining the perceptible transformation of resource value. In order to address this discrepancy, a dual “expert-visitor” evaluation model was developed, utilising the Nangong Lake Scenic Area in Shaanxi Province as a case study. The expert perspective encompasses the evaluation of indicator importance, while the visitor perspective focuses on the extent of divergence among visitors with regard to each indicator. The analysis indicates that the fundamental cause of the cognitive discrepancy between experts and visitors is the disparity in their respective priorities. Experts place significant emphasis on planning and development, while visitors prioritise immediate experiences. This discrepancy in priorities hinders the effective conversion of resource endowments into perceived value. These cognitive differences manifest further within the scenic area as: weak resource narratives, insufficient spatial integration, imbalances between service supply and demand, and inadequate conversion of ecological value. The proposed study outlines four strategic approaches to optimise the experience of cultural themes, enhance the efficiency of spatial pathways, improve accessibility to service facilities, and establish visual representations of ecological landscapes. This framework has been developed for the purpose of supporting the design optimisation of the Nangong Lake Scenic Area. In addition, it provides an evaluation framework for identifying cognitive differences in the planning, design, and operational management of similar rural tourism destinations. The overarching aim of this framework is to promote a shift from a resource-supply-oriented to a demand-responsive model.
Wang et al. (2026) studied this question.