Online content mining & its potential for cruise management

This paper outlines the economic efficiency of the available technologies for mining and analysing user-generated content and also its strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for the use of Web content mining technologies for cruise operators, cruise ship owners, Cruise ship builders or ticket sellers.

Abstract

Customer-made Internet reviews of hotels and travel services are widespread in the so-called Web 2.0. Users publish hundreds of them every day in popular travel portals like holidaycheck.de. Beside these hotel reviews, travellers also review cruise ships, cruise destinations and cruise services, e.g., on board service, on board catering or shore excursions. In the first part of the paper, the use of Web content mining techniques for mining cruise customers’ Internet reviews will be outlined. Further, a brief overview about state of the art Web content mining methods and technologies will be given. In the second part of the paper, results of a systematic survey of 57 Internet sources which provide cruise customers’ reviews will be presented. In the last part of this paper, we will outline the economic efficiency of the available technologies for mining and analysing user-generated content and also its strengths and weaknesses. The analysis is based on the survey and the scientific literature. The paper concludes with recommendations for the use of Web content mining technologies for cruise operators, cruise ship owners, cruise ship builders or ticket sellers.