Analyzing Tourist Perception of Heritage Destinations Using Semantic Network and Sentiment Analysis

Huajun Zheng (), Xin Lin () and Yuanlin Wu ()
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Huajun Zheng: Guangzhou Vocational University of Science and Technology
Xin Lin: Guangzhou Vocational University of Science and Technology
Yuanlin Wu: Guangdong Mechanical and Electrical Polytechnic

A chapter in Proceedings of the 2026 11th International Conference on Social Sciences and Economic Development (ICSSED 2026), 2026, pp 833-846 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Using user-generated online reviews, this study examines tourists’ cognitive and affective perceptions of Shawan Ancient Town, a representative Lingnan heritage destination in southern China. Based on 3,407 reviews collected from major Chinese travel and social media platforms between 2022 and 2025, the analysis integrates word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis, and sentiment analysis. The results show that tourists’ perceptions are centered on cultural–historical attributes, with heritage architecture and cultural atmosphere forming the cognitive core, while experiential and consumption-related elements are closely interconnected. Overall emotional evaluations are predominantly positive, whereas negative sentiments mainly relate to commercialization intensity, pricing, crowding, and management issues. By combining perception structure analysis with affective evaluation, this study extends heritage tourism research to Lingnan ancient towns and provides practical insights for balancing cultural preservation and tourism development.

Keywords: Tourist perception; Heritage tourism; Lingnan ancient towns; Text mining; Sentiment analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-701-9_86

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