Content analysis of tripadvisor reviews on safe tourism certified restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 2 - 2, 31.12.2022

Eylem Taşdağıtıcı , Muharrem Tuna

https://doi.org/10.48119/toleho.1135370

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Covid-19 outbreak, which emerged in December 2019, deeply affected the economies. During the Covid-19 outbreak, there was a significant decline in restaurant revenues, foreign currency inflows and employment. Moreover, the outbreak has caused radical changes in lifestyles and consumer behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the user comments on the TripAdvisor website regarding Safe Tourism Certified restaurants in Turkey during the Covid-19 outbreak. The universe considered in this study comprised users who ate at Safe Tourism Certified restaurants in Turkey and commented on the Tripadvisor website. The content analysis method, which is used in qualitative research methodologies, was applied. In this context, a total of 922 reviews for 98 Safe Tourism Certified restaurants on the Tripadvisor website over the period of 11 March 2020- 20 April 2022 were examined with the help of Nvivo 12 program. It was revealed that 80.6% of the customer comments were positive. The most emphasized factors in the comments were taste, price, attitude and behavior of the employee, view, food and beverage quality, cleanliness, punctuality, employee care and Covid-19 security measures. These findings can assist in understanding the nature of consumer perceptions during pandemic. 

Keywords

Safe Tourism, Certification, Covid-19, Tripadvisor, Turkey

References

• Almanza, B.A., RD, Ismail, J.& Mills, J.E. (2002). The Impact of Publishing Foodservice Inspection Scores, Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 5(4), 45-62.
• Alonso, M.A.S., Gallego, P.A.M. &Mangin, J.L. (2005). Testing a model of perceived food quality determinants. Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing, 17 (1), pp. 9-33.
• Andersen, A.L., Hansen, E.T., Johannesen, N., & Sheridan, A. (2020). Pandemic, Shutdown, and Consumer Spending: Lessons from Scandinavian Policy Responses to Covid-19. Working Paper, Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/pdf/2005.04630.pdf.
• Aydın, B. (2016). Sosyal Medyada Restoran İmajı: Tripadvisor Örneği [Restaurant Image in Social Media: The Case of Tripadvisor], Disiplinlerarası Akademik Turizm Dergisi, 1 (1), 13-30. DOI: 10.31822/jomat.287998.
• Baek, S.H., Ham, S., & Yang, I.S. (2006). A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Fast Food Restaurant Selection Criteria Between Korean and Filipino College Students, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 25 (4), pp. 683–698.
• Bai, L., Wang, M., Yang, Y., & Gong, S. (2019). Food Safety in Restaurants: The Consumer Perspective, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, pp. 139-146.
• Brewer, P., & Sebby, A.G. (2021). The Effect of Online Restaurant Menus on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions During the Covid-19 Pandemic, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102777.
• Brizek, M.G., Frash, R.E., McLeod, B.M., & Patience, M.O. (2021). Independent Restaurant Operator Perspectives in The Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102766.
• Brown, L. G., Le, B., Wong, M. R., Reimann, D., Nicholas, D., Faw, B., Davis, E., & Selman, C. A. (2014). Restaurant Manager and Worker Food Safety Certification and Knowledge, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 11(11), pp. 835–843.
• Cao, I., Liu, Z., Karamanolakis, G., Hsu, D., & Gravano, L. (2021). Quantifying the Effects of Covid-19 on Restaurant Reviews, Proceedings of the Ninth International Workshop on Natural Language Processing for Social Media, Columbia University, USA, pp. 36–60.
• Cenni, I., & Goethals, P. (2017). Negative Hotel Reviews on Tripadvisor: A Cross-Linguistic Analysis, Discourse Context Media, 16, pp. 22–30.
• Choi, J. W., & Ok, C. (2011). The Effect of Online Restaurant Reviews on Diners’ Visit Intention: A Comparative Analysis of Expert vs. Peer Reviews, Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, PP. 1-5.
• Chuah, S.H, Aw, E, C., & Cheng, C. (2022). A Silver Lining in the COVID-19 Cloud: Examining Customers’ Value Perceptions, Willingness to Use and Pay More for Robotic Restaurants, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 31(1), pp. 49-76.
• Cotterchio, M., Gunn, J., Coffill, T., Tormey, P., & Barry, M.A. (1998). Effect of A Manager Training Program on Sanitary Conditions in Restaurants. Public Health Reports, 113 (4), pp. 353–358.
• Dağ, K., Çavuşoğlu, S., & Demirağ, B. (2021). The Impact of Covid-19 On Consumer Behavıor: A Study on Domestıc Tourısts, Süleyman Demirel University Visionary Journal, Year, 12(32), pp. 1160-1175.
• Doğan, S., & Demirtaş, S. (2021). Tripadvisor.com da Yer Alan Restoranlara Yönelik Yabancı Yorumların İçerik Analizi ile Değerlendirmesi: Hatay İli Üzerine Bir Araştırma [Content Analysis on Tripadvisor.com of Foreign Reviews on Restaurants: A Case Study of Hatay], Gastroia: Journal of Gastronomy and Travel Research, 5 (2), pp. 199-212.
• Drouin, M., McDaniel, B. T, Pater, J., & Toscos, T. (2020). How Parents and Their Children Used Social Media and Technology at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations with Anxiety, Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 23(11), pp. 727-736.
• Eroğlu, S., & Bektaş, O. (2016). STEM Eğitimi Almış Fen Bilimleri Öğretmenlerinin Stem Temelli Ders Etkinlikleri Hakkındaki Görüşleri [Ideas of Science Teachers took STEM Education about STEM based Activities], Eğitimde Nitel Araştırmalar Dergisi, 4(3), pp. 43-67.
• Filieri, R. (2015). What Makes Online Reviews Helpful? A Diagnosticity-Adoption Framework to Explain Informational and Normative Influences in E-WOM, Journal of Business Research,68, pp. 1261–1270.
• Gao, S., Tang, O., Wang, H., & Yin, P. (2018). Identifying Competitors Through Comparative Relation Mining of Online Reviews in The Restaurant Industry, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 71, pp. 19-32.
• Gebbels, M., McIntosh, A., & Harkison, T. (2021). Fine-Dining in Prisons Fine-Dining in Prisons: Online Tripadvisor Reviews of the Clink Training Restaurants, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102937.
• Hakim, M. P., Zanetta, L.D., & Cunha, D.T.C. (2021). Should I Stay, or Should I Go? Consumers' Perceived Risk and Intention to Visit Restaurants During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil, Food Research International, 141, 110152.
• Harba, J.N., Tigu, G., & Davidescu, A.A. (2021). Exploring Consumer Emotions in Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Times. A Sentiment Analysis of Perceptions in The Fine-Dining Restaurant Industry in Bucharest, Romania, International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health, 18 (24), 13300.
• Henning-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K.P., Walsh, G., &Gremler, D.D. (2004). Electronic Word-Of-Mouth Via Consumer-Opinion Platforms: What Motivates Consumers to Articulate Themselves on the Internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), pp. 38 – 52.
• Henson, S. (2006). The Role of Public and Private Standards in Regulating International Food Markets, Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development, 4(1) pp. 63-81.
• Heo, S.-J., & Bae, H.-J. (2020). A Survey on Customers’ Perception of a Hygiene Grade Certification System for Restaurants, Journal of Nutrition and Health. The Korean Nutrition Society, 53(2), pp. 203-214.
• Hirokawa, K., Hirota, J., Kawaguchi, D., Masaki, Y., & Onita, C. (2022). Investigating the Epidemiological and Economic Effects of a Third-Party Certification Policy for Restaurants with Covid-19 Prevention Measures, Research Square, pp. 1-11, Retrieved from https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1417222/v1_covered.pdf?c=1647359697.
• Hlee, S., Lee, J., Yang, S.B., &Koo, C. (2018). The Moderating Effect of Restaurant Type On Hedonic Versus Utilitarian Review Evaluations, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, pp. 195-206.
• Horng, J. S., & Tsai, C.T. (2010). Government Websites for Promoting East Asian Culinary Tourism: A Cross-National Analysis, Tourism Management, 31 (1), pp. 74-85, 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.01.009.
• Işık, C., Sirakaya-Turk, E.& Ongan, S. (2019). Testing the Efficacy of The Economic Policy Uncertainty Index on Tourism Demand In USMCA: Theory and Evidence, Tourism Economics, 26(8), Pp. 1344–1357. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816619888346
• Jia, S. (2021). Analyzing Restaurant Customers’ Evolution of Dining Patterns and Satisfaction during Covid-19 for Sustainable Business Insights, Sustainability, 13(9), pp. 4981.
• Kassa, H., Silverman, G. S., & Baroudi, K. (2010). Effect of A Manager Training and Certification Program on Food Safety and Hygiene in Food Service Operations, Environmental health insights, 4, pp. 13–20.
• Kim, W.G., Li, J., & Brymer, R.A. (2016). The Impact of Social Media Reviews On Restaurant Performance: The Moderating Role of Excellence Certificate. International Journal of Hospitality Management,55, pp. 41-51.
• Kim, J., & Lee, J.C. (2020). Effects of Covid-19 On Preferences for Private Dining Facilities in Restaurants, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 45, pp. 67-70.
• Kim, Y., Rahman, I., & Bernard, S. (2020). Comparing Online Reviews of Hyper-Local Restaurants Using Deductive Content Analysis, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 86, 102445.
• Kim, J., & Choi, J. (2021). Effect of A Restaurant Hygienic Grade Certificate Program on Consumer Choices, Nutrition Research and Practice; 15(Suppl 1), pp. S70-S78.
• Kim, J., Kim, J., &Wang, Y. (2021). Uncertainty Risks and Strategic Reaction of Restaurant Firms Amid Covid-19: Evidence from China. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92,102752.
• Knight, A. J, Worosz, M.R., &Todd, E.C.D. (2009). Dining for Safety: Consumer Perceptions of Food Safety and Eating Out, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 33(4), pp. 471-486.
• Koçak, N. (2004). Yiyecek İçecek Hizmetleri Yönetimi [Food and Beverage Services Management], 1. Baskı, Ankara, Detay Yayıncılık.
• Kostromitina, M., Keller, D., Cavusoglu, M., & Beloin, K. (2021). "His Lack of a Mask Ruined Everything." Restaurant Customer Satisfaction During the Covid-19 Outbreak: An Analysis of Yelp Review Texts and Star-Ratings. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 98, 103048.
• Lagrosen, S. (2005). Effects of the Internet on the Marketing Communication of Service Companies, Journal of Services Marketing, 19(2), pp. 63–69.
• Li, L., Yang, L., & Zeng, Y. (2021). Improving Sentiment Classification of Restaurant Reviews with Attention-Based Bi-GRU Neural Network. Symmetry, 13, 1517.
• Luo, Y., & Xu, X. (2021). Comparative Study of Deep Learning Models for Analyzing Online Restaurant Reviews in The Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102849.
• Madeira. A., Pairao, T., & Mendes, A.S. (2021).  The Impact of Pandemic Crisis on the Restaurant Business, Sustainability, 40, pp. 1-13, Retrived from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2020i1p40-d466811.html.
• Manes M, Liu L., & Dworkin M. (2013). Baseline Knowledge Survey of Restaurant Food Handlers in Suburban Chicago: Do Restaurant Food Handlers Know What They Need to Know to Keep Consumers Safe? Journal of Environmental Health, 76, pp. 18–26.
• MATTILSYNET. (2022). https://www.mattilsynet.no/.
• Meek, S., Lambert, C., & Wilk, V. (2021). Corrigendum to “A Big Data Exploration of the Informational and Normative Influences on the Helpfulness of Online Restaurant Reviews”. Journal of Business Research, 125, pp. 354-367.
• Özkale Aslan, E. (2021). Füzyon Mutfağına Yönelik Restoran Deneyimi Şikâyetlerinin İçerik Analizi Yöntemi ile İncelenmesi: Tripadvisor-İstanbul Örneği [Examination of Restaurant Experience Complaints Regarding Fusion Cuisine through Content Analysis: The Case of Tripadvisor Istanbul], Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 9 (2), pp. 1250-1270.
• Panghal, A., Chhikara, N., Sindhu, N., & Jaglan, S. (2018). Role of Food Safety Management Systems in Safe Food Production: A Review, Journal of Food Safety, 38(4), e12464.
• Pantelidis, I.S. (2010). Electronic Meal Experience: A Content Analysis of Online Restaurant Comments. Food-Service Management Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(4), pp. 483–491.
• Park, C.W., Sutherland, I., & Lee, S.K. (2021). Effects of Online Reviews, Trust, And Picture-Superiority on Intention to Purchase Restaurant Services. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, pp. 228-236.
• Pelsmacker, D, P., Tilburg, V, S., & Holthof, C. (2018). Digital Marketing Strategies, Online Reviews and Hotel Performance, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 72, pp. 47–55.
• Phillips, P., Barnes, S., Zigan, K., & Schegg, R. (2016). Understanding the Impact of Online Reviews On Hotel Performance: An Empirical Analysis, Journal of Travel Studies, 56(2). pp. 1-41.
• Prabhu, N., Nayak, N., & Shubham, M. (2017). A Content Analysis of Consumer Online Restaurant Comments in Delhi/NCR, International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 15 (23), pp. 349-358.
• Qi, D., Xu, Y., Chen, J. & Li, R. (2021). Meal Kit Preferences during Covid-19 Pandemic: Exploring User-Generated Content with Natural Language Processing Techniques, Annual Meeting, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, Austin, Texas, USA, pp. 1-33.
• RESMİ GAZETE. (2008). Gıda Güvenliği ve Kalitesinin Denetimi ve Kontrolüne Dair Yönetmelik [Regulation on Food Safety and Quality Inspection and Control], 27009, https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2008/09/20080926-4.htm.
• Sardar, S., Ray R., Hasan M. K., Chitra S. S., Parvez A. T. M. S., & Avi M. A. R. (2022). Assessing the Effects of Covid-19 on Restaurant Business from Restaurant Owners’ Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, pp. 1-10.
• Senecal, S., & Nantel, J. (2004). The Influence of online Product Recommendations on Consumers' Online Choices. Journal of Retailing, 80(2), pp. 159–169.
• SG CLEAN. (2022). https://www.sgclean.gov.sg/.
• Siering, M. (2021). Leveraging Online Review Platforms to Support Public Policy: Predicting Restaurant Health Violations Based on Online Reviews, Decision Support Systems, 143, pp. 1-11.
• Silva, L.A., Leung, X., & Spers E.E. (2021). The Effect of Online Reviews on Restaurant Visit Intentions: Applying Signaling and Involvement Theories. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 12(4), pp. 672-688.
• Sparks, B.A., &Browning, V. (2011). The Impact of Online Reviews on Hotel Booking Intentions and Perception of Trust, Tourism Management, 32(6), 1310-1323.
• Song, H.J., Yeon, J., & Lee, S. (2021). Impact of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from The U.S. Restaurant Industry, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, pp. 1-7.
• Srivastava, S., Pareek, T. Sharma, S., Chittiprolu, V., & Kaushal, V. (2022). Determinants of Restaurant Experience During the On-Going Pandemic Scenario in India, Journal of Foodservice Business Research, pp. 1-17, Retrived from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15378020.2022.2063621.
• STATISTA. (2022a). Global social network user growth from 2018 to 2026, https://www.statista.com/statistics/270919/worldwide-social-network-user-growth/.
• STATISTA. (2022b). Year-Over-Year Daily Change in Seated Restaurant Diners Due to The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Worldwide from February 24, 2020 To February 20, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103928/coronavirus-restaurant-visitation-impact/.
• STATISTA. (2022c). Total Number of User Reviews and Opinions on Tripadvisor Worldwide from 2014 To 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/684862/tripadvisor-number-of-reviews/general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.
• Tarigan, D.J., & Widjaja, D.C. (2012). The Relationship between Non-Financial Performance and Financial Performance Using Balanced Scorecard Framework: A Research in Cafe and Restaurant Sector, International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 3(5), pp. 614- 618.
• TOBB. (2022). Kurulan Kapanan Sirket İstatistikleri [Statistics of Opened and Closed Companies], https://www.tobb.org.tr/BilgiErisimMudurlugu/Sayfalar/KurulanKapananSirketistatistikleri.php.
• Tokassynova, Z.& Akababa, A. (2017). Content Analysis of On-Line Booking Platform Reviews Over a Restaurant: A Case of Pizza Locale in Izmir, International Journal of Contemporary Tourism Research, 2, pp. 29-35.
• TSE. (2022). Tse ve Türes Iş Birliğinde Restoranlara "Güvenli Işletme" Belgesi Verilecek [Restaurants will receive "Safe Business" Certificates in collaboration with Tse and Türes.], https://www.tse.org.tr/Icerik/HaberDetay?HaberID=15922.
• Xu, Y., Singh, S., Olson, E. D., &Jeong, E. (2022). Consumers’ Perceived Effectiveness of Covid-19 Mitigation Strategies in Restaurants: What Went Well and What Could We Do Better? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 103, pp. 1-13.
• Yang, F.A., Chang, H.H & Wang., & J.H. (2021). The Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Taiwanese Food Industry: Empirical Evidence Using Business Transaction Data, Journal of Agricultural Economics, 73, pp. 376 –395.
• Yetgin, D., Keküç, M. & Şayin, M. (2020). Restoranlara Yönelik Tripadvisor Yorumlarının İçerik Analizi Yöntemi İle Değerlendirilmesi: İstanbul Örneği [Regulation on Inspection and Control of Food Safety and Quality], Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 8 (3), pp. 2090-2109.
• Zibarzani, M., Abumalloh, R. A, Nilashi, M., Samad, S., Alghamdi, O.A., Nayer, F.K., Ismail, M.Y., Mohd, S., & Akib, N.A.M. (2022). Customer Satisfaction with Restaurants Service Quality During Covid-19 Outbreak: A Two-Stage Methodology, Technology in Society, 70, pp. 1-16.
• WHO. (2020). WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020, https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.