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How to: Use the topic analysis table in TSI Live

Updated: May 2, 2022

This tutorial answers the questions:

  • What is the topic analysis table?

  • How can I change and filter the topics being analyzed?

  • What can I learn from topic analysis?

Topic analysis lets you drill into what is driving online conversations about your destination. The topics are the specially tailored tourism categories of TSI Live that align with sectors and activities most commonly found in destinations around the world. The topics are presented in a table inside the Topic Analysis module. (The Topic Analysis module is also where you find the graph showing conversation volume over time.) By selecting from the categories, as well as from filters for sentiment type and conversation source, you sort and refine the data in the table to learn where your destination’s strengths are or where challenges exist.


In the topic analysis table, data can be viewed either by category or by the subcategories within each one:

  • Category level: Each category has data that is rolled up from all of its subcategories. This is the default view.

Topic Analysis module categories
Topic Analysis showing the category level
  • Subcategory level: Each subcategory belongs to one category and has its own data. This level appears and retracts by clicking the arrow next to a category name.

Topic Analysis module assets
Topic Analysis showing the subcategory level

The COVID-19 Crisis Index has a Topic Analysis module that reflects data about the pandemic instead of tourism. Use its topic analysis table in the same way that this article describes working with the table.


Reading the data

The topic analysis table allows you to understand how your destination’s tourism sectors and activities are performing by examining key information: volume, emotion and sentiment.

When reading the table, you see:

  • Volume is the percentage or share of the conversations that are related to a given category or subcategory. It reveals how much each category or asset is contributing to the conversations about a destination. The total volume for all categories equals 100%.

  • Beneath each volume percentage is the indicator of growth. Relative to the time frame set for the dashboard (quarter, month, week, etc.), this is the percentage of change in volume period over period (quarter over quarter, month over month, week over week, etc.)

  • Emotion is the dominant feeling expressed in conversations for each category or subcategory. TSI Live assigns one of six emotions: joy, sadness, disgust, fear, neutral or surprise. N/A may appear when none of the emotions identified during analysis is dominant.

  • Sentiment is the sentiment score for each category or subcategory. These scores are combined to arrive at a destination's overall Tourism Sentiment Score®.

  • Beneath each sentiment score is the label low, average or high. This identifies where that score lands in the global sentiment range.

To change the range of time analyzed in this table, you must return to the top of the dashboard and change the time frame for the whole dashboard. For more information about setting up your dashboard, read How to: Select an index.


Putting topic analysis to work

Tourism is an industry of industries; however, not all industries are the same. Some perform better than others. This is why it is critical to identify the sectors and activities in your destination that are performing well and the ones that need further development. Planning, programs and promotion can be focused according to what each one needs.

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