The influence of user generated content on platforms such as TripAdvisor have a massive influence on both the industry and the travelers.

Even though there is a ton of research on how social media has a direct effect on tourist attractions, our team wanted to think outside the box and use a TripAdvisor dataset about hotel reviews in Salzburg to conduct a research project.

According to experts in the industry, there is a need for an in-depth investigation on the comparison between actual and online perceptions using  user generated platforms, such as TripAdvisor.  Based on this, we have attempted to compare the targeted image of Salzburg, which is portrayed by the Austrian tourism authorities, and compare it to the virtual image created by  travelers.

In order to get results, we analyzed and compared strategic factors both on the dataset and secondary Austrian tourism sources. After gathering all that we needed, the results were surprising! According to our research we found that there was a positive image of Salzburg as a destination based on the hotel reviews we analyzed. This was a significant find due to the fact we had a few limitations throughout the process.  In addition, we realized that important information can be extracted from hotel reviews, such as travel identity tags, number of hotel reviews per year, and even nationalities and travel styles to understand the destination perception through digital content.

This on its own is extremely helpful for both academic and practical use!

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