Analyses of Visitors’ Experiences in a Natural World Heritage Site Based on TripAdvisor Reviews

Abstract

Danube Delta is the second largest European delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a famous paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers, which attracts increasing numbers of tourists every year. The article uses mixed methods, qualitative (i.e., narratives) and quantitative (i.e., computer) analyses, to examine the main components of visitors' subjective experiences of the Danube Delta. Data is represented by online visitor reviews, posted between 2011 and 2017 on the TripAdvisor website.

The results showed that experiences of the Danube Delta are mostly positive and centered on direct contact with nature and wildlife. However, managerial aspects linked to visit organization, such as boat types, trip itinerary, duration, or food, were more prominent in the tourists’ impressions and recommendations, compared to destination attributes. Experiences of the Danube Delta are mostly passive, dominantly visual, with low visitor emotional and physical engagement. The cultural and environmental dimensions are underrepresented in people's reviews.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Oana Mihaela Stoleriu

Oana Mihaela Stoleriu is Lecturer in the Faculty of Geography and Geology at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. The author has a PhD in urban geography and 12 years of teaching experience in the field of tourism geography. The author's main research areas are special interest tourism, destination marketing, and sustainable tourism development. Address correspondence to: Oana Mihaela Stoleriu, Department of Geography, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Bulevardul Carol I nr. 20A700505-RO, Iaşi, Romania. Email: [email protected].

Ana Brochado

Ana Brochado is Professor at ISCTE-IUL. She has a BSc in economics, an MSc in quantitative methods, and a PhD in management. She has worked for more than 10 years as an economist at the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) and the Securities Commission (CMVM).

Alexandru Rusu

Alexandru Rusu is Lecturer in the Faculty of Geography and Geology at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. The author has a PhD in economic geography and 13 years of teaching experience in the field of economic geography and planning. The author's main research areas are tourism, statistics, spatial planning, and GIS.

Cristina Lupu

Cristina Lupu is a PhD student in the Department of Geography at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. Her main research interests are tourism marketing, social media and tourism, volunteer geographic information, and GIS science.