Understanding recreational vehicle user preferences: analysing caravanning infrastructure through user-generated data in the Iberian Peninsula

Résumé fourni par la source

Caravanning has grown rapidly in popularity across the Iberian Peninsula, raising challenges for the planning and management of infrastructure tailored to recreational vehicles. Despite this growth, research on caravanning remains limited, particularly regarding user satisfaction and spatial infrastructure adequacy. In this study, more than 154,000 user reviews from the Park4Night platform were analysed, covering 1,581 recreational vehicle parking areas in Portugal and Spain. The objective was to identify user preferences and expectations across free, public paid, and private recreational vehicle areas in these countries. Text mining techniques, including topic modelling and N-gram analysis, were applied to identify the main aspects influencing user satisfaction, such as water and sanitation services, noise levels, pricing, and staff friendliness. Our findings reveal distinct patterns of user expectations based on parking area type, with free areas highlighting basic needs, while paid and private areas are subject to higher expectations related to amenities and service quality. Positive user feedback frequently emphasises quietness, accessibility, and cleanliness, while negative reviews often cite poor sanitation, noise, and inadequate services. The results inform targeted infrastructure improvements and policy recommendations for local governments and private operators.

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