EVALUATING TOURIST PERCEPTIONS THROUGH SENTIMENT ANALYSIS: INSIGHTS FROM CHACHAPOYAS, PERU

In the context of rapid digitalization and the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism sector, user-generated content (UGC) on digital platforms such as TripAdvisor has emerged as a critical source of information for understanding tourist behavior, satisfaction, and destination image formation. As tourists increasingly rely on peer reviews to plan their trips, analyzing this content offers valuable insights into how destinations are perceived globally. Chachapoyas, located in the Amazon region of northern Peru, represents an emerging tourist destination with notable cultural, archaeological, and natural attractions. Despite its growing visibility in national and international tourism circuits, empirical studies analyzing tourist perceptions of Chachapoyas through online content remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the destination image of Chachapoyas by examining the main attributes emphasized by tourists in their reviews posted on TripAdvisor. A total of 644 reviews published between 2018 and 2023 were systematically collected and analyzed using text mining and sentiment analysis techniques. The reviews were categorized into thematic dimensions such as lodging, restaurant services, transportation, major attractions, and overall visitor experience. The analysis focused on the frequency of key terms, the polarity of sentiments expressed, and the narrative structures used by tourists to describe their stay. The findings reveal that the most positively valued categories include “infrastructure”, “atmosphere of the place”, and especially “culture, history, and art”. Tourists consistently expressed positive sentiments regarding the preservation of cultural heritage, the authenticity of local traditions, and the welcoming attitude of residents. Conversely, negative comments were largely related to service inconsistencies, transportation challenges, and infrastructure limitations. The results emphasize the centrality of cultural heritage in shaping the visitor experience in Chachapoyas and highlight the increasing influence of online reviews in constructing and disseminating destination image. This research contributes methodologically by applying advanced content analysis tools and offers practical insights for tourism stakeholders in emerging destinations.