Evaluation and Interpretation of Tourist Satisfaction for Local Korean Festivals Using Explainable AI

Hoonseong Oh,Sangmin Lee

doi:10.3390/su131910901

Abstract

In this paper, we propose using explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques to predict and interpret the effects of local festival components on tourist satisfaction. We use data-driven analytics, including prediction, interpretation, and utilization phases, to help festivals establish a tourism strategy. Ultimately, this study aims to identify the most significant variables in local tourism strategy and to predict tourist satisfaction. To do so, we conducted an experimental study to compare the prediction accuracy of representative predictive algorithms. We then built a surrogate model based on a game theory-based framework, known as SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), to understand the prediction results and to obtain insight into how tourist satisfaction with local festivals can be improved. Tourist data were collected from local festivals in South Korea over a period of 12 years. We conclude that the proposed predictive and interpretable strategy can identify the strengths and weaknesses of each local festival, allowing festival planners and administrators to enhance their tourist satisfaction rates by addressing the identified weaknesses.

Highlights

The existence of local festivals is closely related to regional suburban development outside of city centers [1]
We proposed the use of Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a game theory-based framework, to identify the significant variables affecting each local festival sample
Lower program scores lead to lower tourist satisfaction, and higher program scores lead to higher tourist satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

The existence of local festivals is closely related to regional suburban development outside of city centers [1]. Local festivals contribute to population growth, as they promote the establishment or supplementation of local infrastructure [6]. Local festivals create jobs by revitalizing the local economy and help regions preserve their history and culture and nurture their local identities [7,8]. Existing tourism research has focused on the planning of local festivals to improve tourist satisfaction, which, it argues, can be done through the provision of cultural experiences, food and drink, and other forms of entertainment [9,10]. A considerable amount of research has determined how towns and cities can attract more tourists through local festivals [11]

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Conclusion