Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ)

Tourism Development through the Sense of UNESCO World Heritage: The Case of Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Tourists visiting Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia, predominantly express positive sentiments toward the site's historical significance and unique cultural value. However, reviews also highlight critical challenges such as isolation, cost, privatization, and competition with other destinations. The study analyzed 267 TripAdvisor reviews from 2020 to 2023 using sentiment polarity analysis (VADER) and machine learning (NMF), offering actionable insights for heritage management. This research stands out for its focus on a recently tourist-accessible site in Saudi Arabia, providing pragmatic solutions to enhance the visitor experience and sustainable tourism development.