Measuring The Impact Of Covid-19 On Heritage Sites In The Uk Using Social Media Data

This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cultural heritage sites, as well as visitor experiences at these sites. 1.4 million visitor reviews from Google Maps were collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of the virus and the preventive measures put in place to control its spread. The findings reveal that visitor focus on COVID-19 has decreased, but there may still be a difference between actual and expected number of reviews, suggesting that visitor involvement needs more time to recover. Most comments by visitors to sites were associated with negative sentiment towards restricted access, but recognized the necessity of other safeguarding measures. Recommendations are made for heritage sites to adapt to the pandemic, and a method is proposed to measure visitor perceptions towards specific aspects of heritage sites.