Evaluating the attractiveness of architectural destinations with content analysis method and artificial intelligence: the case of Ankara

Abstract

Determining the attractiveness of architectural destinations is important in revealing why visitors prefer these places. The study will help to identify the positive and negative aspects of buildings in terms of tourism in a wide scope and will also guide architects and designers in building design. From this point of view, the sample area of this study was determined as the city of Ankara. Ankara is a potential tourism destination as it is both the country’s capital and home to many historical buildings that shed light on the Republican era. The study method is based on content analysis of the comments of domestic and foreign tourists on architectural structures in the city on Tripadvisor, one of the leading digital travel platforms. The study is limited to eight (8) architectural structures. By analyzing the comments on the travel platform, the prominent themes in the attractiveness elements of architectural structures were identified. Although the numerical values obtained with artificial intelligence are different, the prominent contents are the same. The ability of artificial intelligence to interpret and analyze concepts constitutes an important method for qualitative analysis. As a result, the study found that the most attractive elements of architectural destinations for visitors are historical, cultural, and architectural values.