Abstract
Cultural traits strongly shape tourists’ choices, behaviors, experiences, and perceived destination images. This study uses traveler-generated content to explore cultural differences and stereotypes´ influence on destination image. Adopting a semiotic perspective, TripAdvisor travel reviews were analyzed using language as a cultural assessment variable. South Tyrol was selected to investigate destination image as perceived by Italian and German speaking domestic tourists. Results show differences with respect to the cultural origin of domestic tourists. The study highlights the usefulness of semiotics and social media analytics to explore cultural differences in perceived destination images.