TCI Research continuously measures online reputation

How is Luxembourg perceived by internet users, what is the mood "on the net" regarding the country as a tourist destination? Luxembourg for Tourism has been cooperating with TCI Research since the end of 2020 to continuously measure Luxembourg's online reputation. Six questions for Alain Krier, Head of Research & Media Management at LFT.

What exactly does TCI Research study?

TCI Research continuously and automatically measures the online reputation of Luxembourg as a destination. In other words, what is the mood "on the net" regarding the country as a destination? How satisfied are travellers with their local experience, how do they rate the attractions and accommodation? This e-reputation tracking analyses conversations and comments in social media as well as visitor ratings on rating platforms.

How does an evaluation like this help?

Thanks to the automatic analysis, LFT can easily keep tabs on the mood on social networks and the drivers that influence it. This way, we can compare all developments since the start of 2020, as well as using the indices to make comparisons with other countries. In other words, we can track mood fluctuations almost in real time. Accordingly, not only do we know exactly how we can improve our public image, but we can also react immediately when we see that there is a need for it.

What stood out in 2020?

At the moment, it is especially interesting and important to observe and analyse health and safety indicators. How the health situation is viewed in a destination country has a direct influence on how much trust potential visitors place in that country.

What significant trends can be observed?

Unsurprisingly, in the first half of 2020 there was a lot of discussion on the topic of COVID-19. However, unlike in the neighbouring countries, the pandemic had only a partial impact on Luxembourg’s Net Sentiment Index (positive mentions minus negative mentions, expressed as a percentage). Through the analysis, we can confirm that Luxembourg’s good reputation can offset and outlast negative topics like the Covid pandemic. This mood in conversations about Luxembourg is consistent with a trend that was observed over the entire year.

What do Internet users like most about Luxembourg?

The topics of “outdoors”, “culture” and “events” are major contributing factors in positive reviews, despite the fact that there were far fewer events than normal in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis. These topics stood out because there were a lot of “niche conversations” about them on social media. In plain English, this means that the more a destination succeeds in persuading people to talk about niche topics, the more it eludes “Covid negativity”. This is definitely the case in Luxembourg. In general, people were especially positive about hiking and cycling, Vianden Castle, the Corniche and the cathedral, as well as the country’s multilingualism, art and culture. Luxembourg was perceived as “small but strong”. Of all the accommodation types, campsites were discussed in a particularly positive light. It is also of note that Belgian and French Internet users generally viewed Luxembourg more positively than the Germans and the Dutch did.

How do Internet users in Luxembourg feel about their own county?

The Net Sentiment Index for Luxembourg is also very high in comparison with other countries, whose own residents are often more sceptical of their country as a travel destination. This assessment can be validated by the positive results seen in the survey of residents carried out by LFT at the start of the year. Luxembourg’s image as a travel destination has proven to be positive and crisis-resistant both domestically and abroad.

Contact:

Alain Krier

Head of Research & Media Management

alain.krier@lft.lu