Travel App: Acceptability and Usage of Tourists in Cavite

Research Outline
Submitted to the Faculty of the
Cavite State University Tanza Campus
Brgy. Bagtas Tanza Cavite

Second Semester, AY 2021 - 2022

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in
Tourism Research

Mark Nesty Arias

Jake Sagario
James Dickson Ballao
Nicole N. Banguilan
Michaella Feranil
Princess Angelica Relator

June 2022
 Travel App: Acceptability and Usage of Tourists in Cavite

Mark Nesty Arias

Jake Sagario
James Dickson Ballao
Nicole N. Banguilan
Michaella Feranil
Princess Angelica Relator

An undergraduate thesis manuscript submitted to the faculty of the Department of

Management, Cavite State University – Tanza Campus, Tanza Cavite in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Tourism
Management (with Contribution No. ____________________. Prepared under the
supervision of Ms. Mary Rose E. Elamparo

INTRODUCTION

Without a doubt, the tourism industry is among the sectors that have been

greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closing of borders, airports, and

hotels as well as restrictions on mass gatherings, land travel and related services

across the world put around 100 to 120 million jobs at risk, as estimated by the World

Tourism Organization. In the Philippines, the government closed the airports in Luzon

on 20 March as part of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) that started in

the island on 16 March. The tourism sector has already felt the negative impact of the

pandemic on its performance much earlier. In other countries, travel restrictions and

measures have started as early as January of this year, and have impacted the
Philippine international tourist arrivals. Domestic tourists, on the other hand, also

limited their travel for fear of contracting COVID-19.

Travelers are experiencing difficulties more particularly here in Cavite

because there are few people who are unable to book for travel because they have

something to attend to and not only that, establishments are also obligated to limit

their costumers because of the social distancing. But because of the pandemic and

the rules imposed by the government top mobile app development business creates

new travel and tourism apps. Using your smartphone, you can carry all of the

information you need on the go. There is no additional fee for paying the agents, and

you are never obligated to book a specific hotel.

Android App Development Company created a travel and tourist app. While

utilizing this app, the payment procedure is also incredibly secure. The most

intriguing feature of these apps is that they gratify passengers and form a strong link

with businesses because they do not require them to wait in a big line.

The researchers found that tourists’ perceived satisfaction with a travel app is

positively associated with their loyalty intention. Thus, this study determines the

significant effects of usage and impact of using the Travel app. Also, how do they see

the essence of the travel application, and how easy is it for them to navigate the

application used for the travel and tourism industry. The benefits of this research are

to identify the importance of mobile applications to tourists in Cavite and how they

affect the tourism industry. The researchers conducted this research to focus on

developing the tourism industry while using mobile applications that run on

technology. It will help them to lessen, minimize, or overcome stressful events

because those travel apps can enhance their visibility and presence in the

competitive travel industry. This study will share specific knowledge about the tactics

and techniques of how mobile apps are necessary for the travel and tourism industry.
 Thus, this study will determine the acceptability and usage of travel apps by

local tourists in Cavite. Also, this will determine if the perceived acceptability of the

tourist has an effect on their usage of travel apps.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the relationship between the profile and the

acceptability and usage of the travel app. The researchers focused on the study of

determinants of a traveler’s intention to utilize travel apps.

Specifically, this study answers the following questions:

1. What was the socio-demographic profile of the participants in terms of?

a.) age

b.) sex

c.) civil status

d.) monthly income

e.) frequency of using a travel app

2.) What is the perceived level of acceptability of tourists in terms of?

a.) benefits?

b.) trust?

c.) self-efficacy?

d.) ease of use?

f.) security?

3.) Does the perceived level of acceptability of tourists have an effect on

their usage of travel apps?

 Objectives of the Study

This study aims to determine the relationship between the profile and the

acceptability and usage of the travel app. The researchers focused on the study of

determinants of a traveler’s intention to utilize travel apps.

Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. Determine the socio-demographic profile of the participants in terms of.

a.) age

b.) sex

c.) civil status

d.) frequency of using a travel app

e.) monthly income

2.) Determine the perceived level of acceptability of tourists in terms of.

a.) benefits of using a travel app

b.) trust

c.) self-efficacy

3.) Identify the perceived level of acceptability that affects their usage of

Travel app.

4.) Based on the findings proposed an acceptable Travel app for the

Tourist.

Conceptual Framework

This section presented the framework that the researcher used in presenting

the study. In determining the perceived level of acceptability and usage of the Travel

app of tourists in a different tourist destination in Cavite, the study was anchored on

the IPO model as the research paradigm, as shown in Figure 1.

Independent variables - Acceptability

Dependent variables - Usage of Travel App

INPUT PROCESS
OUTPUT
Assessment of the
respondents to
Socio Demographic perceive the level of Proposed an acceptable
profile of the acceptability. travel app for tourist.
respondents.
100 respondents thru Comprehensive tools
App features, Trust and survey and and features of travel
Self-efficacy. questionnaire method. app.

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

Hypothesis

This null hypothesis for this study was the perceived acceptability of the

tourist has an effect on their usage of travel apps.

Significance of the study

This study helped determine the benefits of this research to identify the

importance of mobile applications to tourists from selected municipalities of Cavite

and how they affect the tourism industry. The researchers conducted this research to

focus on how to develop the tourism industry while using mobile applications that run

on technology.

Travel App Developer

This study aims to help tourists by using travel apps to provide a place for

them. Travel apps help users search for destinations, find good flight accommodation

deals, and book services. Hence

Local tourist

This study examines the influence of tourism websites on tourists' perceptions

and impressions, which significantly determines their plan to visit a destination. Thus,

to affect tourists' perceptions, more information is provided to the tourist through

different websites. This study will determine how it will aid in increasing the number

of visitors to the destination.

Future researchers

To clarify the importance of mobile applications to tourists in Cavite and how

they affect the tourism industry then, this study provides potential ways for the

present and future that will provide some opportunities for the development that will

enhance the visitor experience and destination's identity and brand expression

because of travel apps. Furthermore, the research offers practical implications for

using travel apps.

Tourism industry

The study provides sound, valuable information and how tourists attribute the

effectiveness and impact of using travel apps. Lastly, this study will share a certain

knowledge about the tactics and techniques of how mobile apps are necessary for

the travel and tourism industry.

Time and Place of the Study

This study will be conducted from May 2022 to June 2022. The data will be

gathered from the answers of tourists from selected municipalities in Cavite.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research focuses on 100 random respondents who visited a selected

tourist destination in Cavite. It will help the researcher to measure the effectiveness
 and level of acceptability of travel apps among tourists. This will help the researcher

to develop effective features and usage of the travel app.

This research will not extend to local and foreign tourists who have not yet

visited the selected tourist destination in Cavite.

Definition of Terms

The following terms were operationally defined in the study:

Tourism Industry is the sum of all businesses that directly provide goods or

services to facilitate business, pleasure, and leisure activities away from home.

Mobile application is a software application designed to run on a mobile

device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. 

Travel apps software applications have been developed specifically for use

on smaller devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and can be used by business

travelers to book and manage their travel whilst on the move.

Acceptability in research is designed to obtain useful information for

examining the extent to which an intervention meets the needs of the target population and

organizational setting.

Usage means the use of something, the way in which it is used, or how much

it has been used.

Benefits are the advantage or the profit gained of that consumer or the

person using this kind of travel apps.

Trust is the relationship to be gained with our consumer.

Self-efficacy is the belief that we can achieve influence over the conditions

that affect our lives.

 Ease of use means if a client is easily able to use your product, service or

application, there will be less need for customer services, in turn saving you time and

money as a business.

Security means safety, as well as the measures taken to be safe or

protected. The consumer must know that all their transactions are secure.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This section presents the related literature and studies of the proposed

research study.

Travel Application
 Technology offers various tools to boost development and exchange

information. Both of these are IT's goals: to make tasks easier and to solve many

problems. Technologies such as mobile phones, computers, tablets, and everything

that is considered a gadget have changed the society we live in. And now, what is

the application? An application program is a computer or mobile program designed to

carry out a specific task other than one relating to the operation of the computer

itself, typically one to be used by end-users. Word processors, media players, and

accounting software are examples. In the previous research, Mobile Application

Development in the Tourism Industry and its Impact on On-Site Travel Behavior, the

said research title aimed to identify how mobile applications affect the tourism

industry and their impact on on-site travel. Apparently, the research literature focused

on how to develop the tourism industry while using an application that runs on

technology. https://app.travel.philippines

Usage it is the use of something, the way in which it is used, or how much it

has been used, refers to the conventional ways in which words or phrases are used,

spoken, or written in a speech community. Usage is defined as the way that

something is being used, or to the proper way to make use of something such as a

word or phrase or tool. https://mythought.co

In the current era of globalisation, the Internet plays a major role in people's

lives. It has also altered the style of people travel by providing a cheaper, more

convenient and more efficient price. Recognizing the broad impact of travel

applications on the travel sector, researchers have focused on the study of

determinants of travellers' intention to utilize travel apps. In addition, among the

consumer behaviour models used to study the tourism sector, is Unified Acceptance

and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model which is the common and new models

nowadays. Therefore, the existing study is expected at evaluating the local residents'

intention to utilize mobile travel applications based on the UTAUT model.

https://www.researchgate.net
 Travel app nowadays is very convincing and convenient with its user. This

paper seeks to know the possibility and tourist perception on travel application.

Perception of tourist in travel is rapidly increasing month by month as of this

pandemic continuously erupt like a wildfire, tourist thinks that travel app is way more

useful that it was. https://journals.sage.co

Mobile applications, frequently referred to as apps, are a type of software

application explicitly developed to run on a mobile device such as smartphones or

tablets (Technopedia, n.d.). Traditionally, mobile apps often reflect similar services as

those provided on a PC. However, some of the most successful apps are built on the

concept of making use of the unique features of mobile devices. Today, mobile

devices share a number of powerful characteristics, such as big displays, Internet

access, context-relevant push notifications, location tracking functionality (Want,

2009), and health tracking, that enable consumers to enhance their everyday

activities. Outstanding examples of such companies range from mobile messaging

apps such as Whats App to last minute booking apps like Hotel Tonight and location-

based services like Google Maps, all of which share the concept of "mobile first",

meaning that the product was specifically designed for mobile usage. Mobile

applications have been first popularized by Apple with the introduction of its App

Store, soon followed by Google’s Play Store, which both offer a storefront for

developers to distribute their software to consumers since 2008. As of today, both

Apple and Google feature some 1.2 to 1.3 million applications (Statista, 2013) in their

respective app stores, accumulating a total revenue of $26 billion in 2013 (Statista,

2013), a number which can be expected to rapidly grow within the next five years,

according to Statista (2013), the world’s leading statistics company on the Internet,

which further forecasts mobile-generated revenue to surpass the $75 billion mark by

2017.
 In our research, it now aims to identify how the users are able to use the

travel application. How do they see the essence of the travel application and how

easy is it for them to navigate the application that is used for travel and tourism?

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter sets out the steps and procedures that were followed in

conducting the study. Specifically, the chapter presents the procedure that was

followed in selecting research subjects, developing the instrument, collecting and

analyzing data and finally, making sense of data collected.

Research Design
 This study utilizes the qualitative method of research, specifically

phenomenological research. Phenomenology is a type of approach that concentrates

on the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience. It is widely

accepted that the qualitative method of research emphasizes objectives by collecting

some information by means of a survey. Relatively, the method is appropriate for this

study because its objective was to identify the effects and usage of using the Travel

app.

Participants of the Study

The data utilized in this study came from the responses of 100 random

respondents who visited a selected tourist destination in Cavite. Quota sampling was

used as a sampling technique in selecting the said participants.

Data Gathered

The respondents for this research study are 100 tourists who are visited in

selected tourist destination in Cavite and randomly selected using a travel app, either

male or female. We have chosen those respondents to allow us to easily identify the

benefits of the travel app. The researchers then conducted a question by interviewing

those respondents, resulting in five random people. Using a qualitative research

method doesn’t require a large number of respondents, so those 5 random people in

Cavite will be enough to represent the entire population.

Data Gathering Procedure

The presentation summarizes the planning of a qualitative research approach

to gather data from an interview process and the analysis of the data. The problem

was initiated when the researchers wondered if some other people didn't know how

to use mobile applications like travel apps. The team leader assigned her members

to interview the 100 random respondents who visited a selected tourist destination in

Cavite, who use the mobile app the most and to accumulate the necessary
information for this study, the researchers chose five random people for them to have

an easy one-on-one interview. The data that the researchers gathered will undergo

analysis and interpretation for us to determine the conclusions, significance, and

implications of the research findings. It is one of the processes that the researcher

uses to identify the best results and enables the researcher to have an in-depth

knowledge of the findings.

Data Analysis

We gathered information by conducting research and asking questions to

various toutrist in Cavite, to learn about the various strategies they used to deal with

Travel App, and we gathered data from what we found to different responses from

tourist to our questions.

Research Instrument

The researchers prepare questions for the interview in order to gather the

desired information needed for this study. They will also add some follow-up

questions during the interview to support the answers of the respondents. The

information given in the interview will come from five random people in Cavite who

like to travel using a travel app.

The researchers conducted their interview with a permission letter signed by

their professor. It is to show that their research study is reliable and valuable to other

people. The said letter was also made to avoid misgiving the participants. The profile

and the answers of the participants will be confidential, as was assured in the signed

letter. The information given in the interview will be kept confidential and will be used

only for academic purposes. The names of the respondents and the names of other

schools and other public names will not appear in this research study.

Table 1. Verbal and descriptive interpretation for the travel app users in Selected
Municipalities in Cavite.
NUMERICAL RANGE VERBAL DESCRIPTIVE
INTERPRETATION INTERPRETATION

29.1 - 5.00 Poor Almost all participants had

no experience in using the
travel application

30.2 - 56.6 Very Satisfactory Some of participants

agreed about the
effectiveness of using
travel app.

44.8 - 6.00 Excellent All of the participants

agreed that travel app are
very applicable and useful.

56.6 - 6.00 Excellent All of the participants use

mobile application and use
android for the platform
making travel aggrements.

58.8 - 6.00 Very Satisfactory All participants were

satisfied with the use of
travel application.