Deciphering Tourism’s Role in Antarctica’s Geosocial Concerns through Data Mining Techniques

Víctor Calderón-Fajardo, Miguel Puig-Cabrera () and Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez
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Víctor Calderón-Fajardo: Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Miguel Puig-Cabrera: Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-Being (CinTurs), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez: University of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: This study explores the changing dynamics of tourism in Antarctica, focusing on the impact of digitalisation and User-Generated Content on platforms like Tripadvisor. It aims to understand how online reviews influence perceptions and decisions to visit Antarctica, a region known for its pristine environment and status as ‘the last frontier’. Utilising Environmental Perception and Behaviour Geography (EPBG) principles, this research conducts a quantitative analysis of reviews from potential and current travellers. Through text mining, topic modelling, sentiment analysis, and Natural Language Processing (NLP), it investigates the emotional and perceptual discourse surrounding Antarctic tourism and its alignment with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. The findings reveal a detailed narrative of sustainability challenges and the emotional geography related to tourism in Antarctica, highlighting emotions such as happiness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, and sadness among visitors. This study uncovers differences in perception based on visitors’ backgrounds, noting that individuals from nature-focused cities display strong environmental concerns, whereas those from advanced urban centres show a more positive attitude. This research contributes to the understanding of EPBG, text mining, and NLP, offering insights into sustainable tourism practices in Antarctica.

Keywords: Antarctica tourism; Tripadvisor; topic modelling; sustainable tourism; Agenda 2030; Sustainable Development Goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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