Understanding golf tourism competitiveness via online reviews

This study benchmarks the competitiveness of Belek (Turkey) and the Algarve (Portugal) as golf tourism destinations using more than 57,000 TripAdvisor reviews from 2013–2025. A dual-layer computational approach combines topic modelling to map dominant destination narratives with noun-phrase analysis to identify satisfaction-critical attributes. The findings reveal contrasting competitive logics. Although course conditions shape evaluations in both destinations, Belek’s appeal rests on an integrated “complete resort package” linking service integration, perceived value and loyalty, whereas the Algarve relies on landscape appeal and accessibility but is more sensitive to technical course expectations and service-process bottlenecks. The study extends destination competitiveness frameworks by showing how established dimensions are configured and experienced differently across destination product architectures, development models and maturity levels.