Consumer Preferences of Accommodation Facilities’ Promotional Tool in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

Consumer Preferences of Accommodation Facilities’ Promotional Tool in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

Calao, Paolo Emmanuel C., Caro, Khate Darlene Leigh F., Castillo, Zymone Anjelo E., Gregorio, Jerome Rafael J., Quinto, Eugene Christian A., Tanglao, Paul Joshua C., and Ibarra, John Michael C. CGSP, CHP, MSHRM

Saint Mary’s University, Philippines

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.805132

Received: 23 April 2024; Revised: 11 May 2024; Accepted: 16 May 2024; Published: 19 June 2024

ABSTRACT

At various levels, the Philippine government has considered tourism one of its top development priorities to ensure its economic sustainability. Tourism industries are composed of restaurants, hotels, hospitality, any related to travel, tourist destinations, and transportation industries, and much of it revolves around keeping tourists happy and satisfied with their tourism activities. This research emphasizes consumer preferences for accommodation facilities and promotional tools in first-class municipalities. The study determined the effectiveness of the accommodation establishment’s promotional material among tourists through a quantitative analysis. The data was ga there dusing survey questionnaires, which included 60 respondents who stayed in the two selected accommodation facilities. The findings revealed that there is an equal number of male and female respondents in the two selected accommodation facilities in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, most of whom earn a salary of Php.10,000-20,000 a month, single, frequent hotel guests coming from outside the province, and checking in for vacation. The findings also revealed that the respondents prefer price, packages desired, differentiation, and timing of packages offered to accessibility and something new. The study recommends that accommodation facilities differentiate their offerings by focusing on complimentary meals & loyalty programs.

Keywords: Hotel promotion, segmentation, tourism marketing, sustainability, establishment

INTRODUCTION

The tourism industry in the Philippines has been determined to be one of the powerful engines for solid and sustained economic growth. According to the Department of Tourism 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported recently that tourism’s contribution to the country’s GDP grew from 12.3 percent in 2018 to 12.7 percent in 2019. The main factor in the growth in international tourist inflow was the Department of Tourism’s continuous efforts to promote the Philippines as a key tourist destination in the Asia-Pacific region, which somehow improved the lives of many Filipinos.

According to Rocamora (2024), the Philippine government, at various levels, has considered tourism one of its top development priorities to ensure its economic sustainability. Tourism industries are composed of restaurants, hotels, hospitality, any related to travel, tourist destinations, and transportation industries, and much of it revolves around keeping tourists happy and satisfied with their tourism activities. Different businesses in the industry are successful because of promotions or advertising. In relation to this, according to Bennett (2018), no business can succeed without great promotion. You could have the best products or services in the industry. Still, you will never find success if people are unaware of your business. Promotions are an effective means of communication with customers to make the business successful. Promotion is a communication skill wherein there is no need to be physically present in the area to communicate with the customers. With the rapid evolution of technology, it’s evident that businesses and companies have been influenced to alter their ways of promoting their products or services to their audience in numerous ways.

Furthermore, they are in a modern era where we are now controlled by technologies such as computers, cellphones, the internet, and the like. They need to review the new promotion methods because, according to Konet (2018), the technology in today’s content is no longer temporary; it lasts forever. In the past, ads would only last as long as you paid for them to be aired on TV or printed in the newspaper. Still, the internet and technology have made marketing content last forever. Whatever is currently posted online is viewable and searchable; it is one of the reasons why consistency is so essential in today’s marketing (Revfine, 2022). They must commit to the brand, message, and voice to ensure that consumers recognize the brand and have a consistent experience regardless of when the company’s content is published.

According to Power (2022), print advertisements and other collaterals can create awareness, hold attention, drive commercial actions, engender trust, even build long-term brand loyalty, and strengthen clients’ decision-making to buy an establishment’s products and services. Tourism promotion entails spreading knowledge about a specific product to increase sales in untapped markets. Digital evolution has greatly affected the tourism industry, bringing new challenges and opportunities to accommodation facilities. Literature confirms that new technologies allow the building of personal and interactive relationships with customers but also cause tourism service providers to interface with new intermediaries, especially online travel agencies.

Radu (2024) stated that tourism products are well considered appropriate for effective promotion through marketing trends. The promotion of tourism increases revenue generation and customer brand awareness or loyalty. Factors influencing competitive tourism promotion mean encouraging actual and potential customers to travel to a destination by spreading information. It is clear from this statement that promotion plays a vital role in advertising any destination and can help modify tourist behavior by ensuring repeat visitors continue to purchase the same product instead of switching to another destination. Hence, tourism promotion helps to draw potential tourists’ attention, modify the existing buyers’ behavior, and influence them to visit a destination (Mill & Morrison 2012). A critical element of an effective hotel marketing strategy is a clear, compelling description of your property’s brand, its positioning in the market, and what sets it apart from competitors.  Potential tourists generally want to learn about a destination’s products, services, and facilities in advance by using various advertising methods. This may lead organizations to carry out various promotional activities to convey their message to potential tourists and encourage them to visit the destination.

Another significant component of the hotel industry is implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hotels play a vital role in sustainable tourism and an alternative way of achieving 2 among the 17 SDGs. First, it promotes sustained, inclusive, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work. Second is a commitment to ‘free access to safe drinking water,’ ‘adequate sanitation and hygiene,’ and ‘water resource management.’ Zapata and Hall (2017) suggest that tourism can be a means to achieve the SDGs, as it reaches even the most remote places in the world. The United Nations sees the hotel industry as a key player in achieving two SDGs (Diez-Busto et al., 2022). However, Baum et al. (2016) point out that the hotel sector faces several challenges in aligning its operations with the SDGs, such as poor wages and working conditions, high turnover rates, and gender and diversity issues. The impact of mass tourism on the environment has also sparked a debate in Asia (Bakhmatova, 2021), with travelers expressing concerns. According to Ishatono and Santoso (2014), some scientists have claimed that hotels in developing countries need a greater understanding and implementation of the SDGs. However, a recent study by Blasi et al. (2022) suggests that environmental awareness can positively impact the SDGs, while leadership canserve to describe social, cognitive, and social learning hypotheses. Motevali and Altinay (2021) note that this research provides theoretical contributions and practical and valuable suggestions for supervisors and understudies within the lodging industry.

The tourism and hospitality industries have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by Liu et al. (2022). Previous studies have highlighted the importance of managing the hotel industry to achieve the SDGs and prevent an increase in poverty, as Njerekai (2019) noted. As we approach the end of the SDGs program, there is a growing discussion about adopting the SDGs after 2030, as proposed by Kaitano (2020). Decision-makers have emphasized the need for input and evaluation from the travel sector, particularly the hotel industry in Central Kalimantan, to proceed with the SDGs. The consumption behavior of travelers is evaluated based on the sociological theory of consumption, as explained by Baudrillard (2011) and Putri (2019). Kang et al. (2020) add that struggles are based on the affirmation of each other as subjects and objects, with the underlying logic being desire rather than need.

According to Arida (2012), sustainable development is an approach to achieving sustainability in various aspects of life, such as ecological, economic, socio-cultural, political, and defense and security sustainability. It involves developing a country’s economic, social, environmental, and cultural aspects to cater to the present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. It also aims to create a society that can interact with each other and the environment. Measuring sustainability has been a subject of intense debate among researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders (Holden et al., 2014). Recent discussions have been enriched by adopting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targets, and indicators related to the SDGs (Allen et al., 2019). The 2030 Agenda aims to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by managing the substantial challenges faced. Poverty alleviation requires strategies to work on economic growth while ensuring environmental protection and managing various social needs, including health, education, and gender equality (Costanza et al., 2016). The SDGs have replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2000-2015, and every country must achieve the existing goals and targets. The SDGs comprise 17 agendas, including poverty eradication and hunger, health improvement, quality education, gender equality, clean water and decent sanitation, clean and long-term energy, decent work and economic growth, innovative industry and infrastructure, reduced spawning, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, tackling climate change, marine ecosystems, land ecosystems, peace, justice, and rigorous vulnerabilities, as well as leadership towards the goals (Susanty, 2020).According to Obot and Setyawan (2017), developing a tourism industry that does not harm the environment is crucial for the long-term sustainability of the industry. This requires managing resources to meet the needs of culture, biodiversity, and the environment while accounting for tourism’s economic and social impacts. Zamfir and Corbos (2015) suggest that sustainable travel involves considering tourism’s current and future impacts on the environment, industry, and local society. Sustainability has both static and dynamic meanings, with the former defined as the utilization of renewable resources at a constant rate of technology and the latter defined as the utilization of non-renewable resources at a constantly changing level of technology (Arida, 2012).

The hotel industry plays a critical role in implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs), as highlighted by the UNWTO’s announcement of 2017 as the year of the Parisian Movement (Postma et al., 2017). However, previous studies suggest that many companies in the industry need more strategies to address social, cultural, and business challenges (Postma et al., 2017). Therefore, the hotel industry needs to implement SDGs related to water and sanitation (SDGs 6) to address the industry’s and the world’s challenges (Cerf, 2019). Nisa et al. (2022) emphasizes the need for the industry to measure and track progress to ensure progress in this area. The Egyptian hotel industry is one example of the challenges facing the industry, as reported by Abdou et al. (2020), in addressing water and sanitation problems.

Fauzi and Oxtavianus (2014) emphasized that the hotel industry’s foremost importance lies in managing water and sanitation efficiently, taking into account the potential adverse effects of climate change that could lead to water dependency and have a detrimental impact on the sector. Retrofitting hotels to improve water productivity requires significant investment, which may be hindered by the liquidity challenges faced by the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Yacoub &ElHajjar, 2021). The hotel industry is also responsible for contributing to pollution, which can harm marine and land ecosystems. Therefore, reducing and recycling industrial materials in hotels and reducing plastic usage is crucial to promoting environmental protection and achieving SDG 13 (Cerf, 2019; Hsiao et al., 2018; Majid et al., 2015).

The hotel industry has already taken steps to become more environmentally friendly, with some suppliers providing eco-friendly packaging (Cerf, 2019). Additionally, the industry is actively working towards achieving SDG 15 by protecting, restoring, and increasing tolerance of land ecosystem use, continuing forest management, reducing desert land, fighting forest revolts, halting and restoring land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss (Star, 2020).

With this, the researchers would like to study the consumer preferences of accommodation facilities’ promotional tools in the commercial town of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya. They may bring enlightenment to traditional promotions’ decision choices in the hotel industry.

METHODOLOGY

The researchers utilized descriptive-quantitative, descriptive-comparative, and quantitative methods because they used numerical parameters to determine the promotional material’s impact on this study’s selected accommodation facilities. Sreekumar, D. (2023) explained quantitative research as collecting and analyzing numerical data to describe, predict, or control variables of interest. The main objectives of this research are to test the relationships between variables, make predictions, and generalize results to a broader population through survey questionnaires. Descriptive-quantitative analysis involves gathering quantifiable data to statistically analyze a population sample, which can reveal patterns over time and be discovered using survey questionnaires. This analysis was used to interpret the tallied data.

Additionally, descriptive-comparative analysis compares the conditions or characteristics of two subjects, including research variables, organizations, plans, and people. On the other hand, qualitative research is a research approach that delves deeper into real-world problems by providing insights that quantitative data cannot. Qualitative research helps generate hypotheses and gain further understanding of quantitative data.

Turney (2023) conducted a study where data was collected and analyzed using various statistical methods. The frequency and percentage were used for demographic profile variables. In contrast, the mean and standard deviation were used to determine the level of consumer preferences. Additionally, an ANOVA T-test was conducted to determine the significance of the difference between guest profile variables and consumer preferences. Lastly, recommendations were crafted using similarities and storytelling. According to Collins (2017), the mean is a type of average, while the standard deviation is used to develop a statistical measure of the mean variance. Moreover, Kenton (2023) described ANOVA as a statistical analysis tool to split observed aggregate variability found within a data set. The ANOVA test determines the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable in a regression study.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Section 1. Respondents’ Demographic Profile

Table 3. Respondents’ Demographic Profile in terms of Sex, Income, Marital Status, Frequency of Checking-In, Recent Date of Checking-in, Point of Residence and Purpose of Checking-in

Table 3 shows the demographic profile of the respondents according to Sex, Income, Marital Status, Frequency of Checking-in, Recent Date of Checking-in, Point of Residence, and Purpose of Checking-in. It can be noted that males and females are equally distributed (50%). For Income, the majority of the respondents are earning between the age range of 10, 000 to 20, 000 (48.3%), followed by 21,000 to 30,000 (20.0%), 31,000 to 40,000 (28.3%) while 3.3% of the respondents are earning more than 40, 000. Most of the respondents were single, with a percentage of 61.7%, and others were married, with 38.3%. The majority of the respondents were checking in sometimes (61.7%), some were checking in constantly (23.3%), and others were checking in rarely (15.0%). As shown in the table above, May is the month with the most recent date of checking-in, with 98.3%, while the other months have 1.7%. Most of the guests of the two selected hotels came from outside Nueva Vizcaya, with a percentage of 60.0%. Others were from Nueva Vizcaya, with a percentage of 38.3%. The most common purpose of the guests for checking in is for vacation (53.3%), followed by business (35.0%) and other purposes (10.0%).

Section 2. Level of Consumer Preferences of Accommodation Facilities’ Promotional Tool

Table 4: Level of Consumer Preferences of Accommodation Facilities’ Promotional Tool

Legend: 1.00-1.49 (Very Low Preference or VLP), 1.50-2.49 (Low Preference or LP), 2.50-3.49 (High Preference or HP), 3.50-4.00 (Very High Preference or VHP)

Based on the above table (4), the level of customer preference in terms of promotional tools is high regarding the following: Price (Mean=3.0778), Packages Desired (Mean=3.02), Differentiation (Mean=2.8000), and Timing of Packages Offered (Mean=2.60).

Pricing discounts are an effective strategy to attract new customers, especially those sensitive to price or searching for a good deal. Herput (2022) found that such discounts provide a sense of joy by triggering the release of oxytocin, sparking excitement, and making consumers feel more creative about saving money. This finding suggests that discounts directly enhance consumers’ perception of value, making them believe they are obtaining more for their money. Clients encountering lower prices tend to believe they are securing a superior deal or value. Moreover, customers appreciate lower prices when they agree to certain conditions or purchase beforehand (Kimes, 2002). Research also indicates varied consumer responses to the same discounts on products or services (Campo &Yague, 2007; Kimes, 2002), underscoring the diverse psychological and economic elements that play into their purchasing decisions. Haenraets (2023) highlights that price is a paramount consideration in the decision-making process of hotel customers, who are perpetually pursuing optimal value for their expenditure. Several factors, including location, amenities, and room type, influence the cost of hotel accommodations. Utilizing big data, hotels can refine their pricing strategies by analyzing information from Property Management Systems (PMS) and Point of Sale (POS) systems to discern customer demand trends and adjust prices to remain competitive, attracting a more extensive customer base.

To accommodate business travelers, it is essential to prioritize convenience, efficiency, and technology, differentiating one hotel from the other. That’s why hotels must offer complimentary breakfast, wi-fi, and loyalty programs, which are the key demands for these travelers for ease and efficiency while completing their business in town. These types of guests bring other such guests to your doorstep through word-of-mouth recommendations and vital feedback but also help hotels be open to hordes of new types of guests even in your low-peak seasons. In support, one of the managers of the selected hotel said that most of their guests are young business professionals or engaged in business-related activities. The target market of hotels in Solano is for business-related purposes, and a small percentage are tourists. Solano is the commercial town of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, which supports the fact that the guests of these hotels are for business-related activities. For employment, business travelers go all over the world. They, therefore, want to have the most excellent possible experience while staying at the hotel.

Additionally, entrepreneurs may last longer for personal reasons, impending events, or unforeseen meetings. Their demanding work schedule and the stress of traveling and work meetings can lead to physical and mental exhaustion and a sense of overwhelm. As a result, when making an Internet reservation, they constantly search for corporate rates, including amenities like the “de-stress package,” which most businesses planning business trips require. Therefore, in the end, hotels must make business travel stress-free (eZee Absolute, 2020). Offering different kinds of packages as a promotional tool for hotels is one of the best ways to attract consumers. Hotel packages make it easier for consumers to book everything they need in one go. Guests may avoid the inconvenience of reserving individual components separately and save time and effort by selecting a package that contains everything necessary. This convenience feature may be incredibly tempting to guests planning a last-minute holiday or unfamiliar with the locale and want a hassle-free experience.

Hotels may separate themselves from the competition by designing well-designed packages that deliver value to consumers while providing a unique and customized experience. However, ensuring the packages are reasonably priced and provide adequate value is critical to avoid revenue loss.

With this, the result shows that the hotels in Solano practice good marketing/promotional strategies. Nevertheless, it can also be noted that the respondents must emphasize hotel services and promotions. According to Chechi (2023), Promotional strategy can be essential to a hotel’s success. Effective marketing helps to bring in new customers, build brand loyalty, and increase hotel revenue. As such, it is a vital element of hospitality management. With the correct strategies, hotels can enhance performance by targeting the right audiences with engaging campaigns. Hotels should also be aware of the preferences and needs of their target audience. Knowing what amenities, services, experiences, and offers are most desired by customers can help hotels create more targeted campaigns that directly appeal to those individuals.

Understanding customer feedback is also essential when creating a successful hotel marketing plan. The two selected hotels may maintain the following promotions but focus on something other than this kind of promotional strategy because it is then considered to be of low preference. These are Something New and Accessibility, shown in the highlighted part of Table 3. Tracking this data can provide valuable insights that can be used to improve customer experience and create more tailored campaigns.

Section 3. Tests of Significant Difference

Table 5: Consumer Preferences of Accommodation Facilities’ Promotional Tool when Grouped according to the Profile Variables

legend: P < = .05 = significant

*Significantly different pairs

Consumer preferences on accommodation facilities promotional tools have no significant difference in sex. The males have a mean of 2.5633, and the females have a mean of 2.4800, with a statistical result of p=.637. This correlates with Roozen and Raedts’s (2018) study, which shows no significant influence of gender on travelers’ decision-making processes when acquiring a particular service from a hotel. Furthermore, whether you are a male or female, it is not important where you bought a particular hotel service as long as a customer can sleep comfortably.

Consumer preferences for accommodation facilities promotional tools have a significant difference in terms of income. Those customers’ earning range of 10,000 to 20,000 have significantly higher preference than those customers’ earning range of 21,000 to 30,000 and 31,000 to 40,000, with a statistical result of P=.000. According to Thomas (2023), One of the top reasons why people stay in hotels is for business trips and conferences.

Solano is a commercial town in the Nueva Vizcaya. Therefore, most customers staying at the hotel are for business-related purposes. Business travelers often need to strike a balance between cost and convenience. While affordability is necessary, hotel management should also consider factors such as proximity to business meetings, conference venues, and transportation hubs to optimize their overall travel experience for their business trip. With this, a customer needs to have or have limited purchasing power to purchase hotel services, which is why having an income is significant.

Consumer preferences on accommodation facilities promotional tools have no significant difference in marital status, with a statistical result of p=.878. Marital status is not essential, whether you are married or single. You must acquire hotel services if you have an agenda in town. Focusing on the individual’s needs and agenda when developing hotel services is more important than considering their marital status. It highlights the universal requirement for accommodation when individuals have plans in a particular town, suggesting that marketing efforts should be tailored more towards these specific agendas than marital status.

Consumer preferences for accommodation facilities’ promotional tools significantly differ in check-in frequency. Customers who always check in at the accommodation facilities have a significantly higher preference than those who only check in sometimes, with a statistical result of p=.034. According to Boley (2020), there are seven types of hotel guests. Knowing your guest’s personality is critical to developing marketing strategies that resonate with the right customers and lead to more bookings. Frequent guests who consistently check in at the hotel tend to have more discerning preferences than occasional visitors. These regular patrons are immersed in the hotel environment, actively seeking services to enhance and optimize their stay. Their continuous presence allows them to develop an understanding of the hotel’s offerings, making them more attuned to the details that contribute to a superior and tailored experience during their stays.

Consumer preferences on accommodation facilities promotional tools have no significant difference in the recent date of checking-in with a statistical result of p=.817. Rama (2023) states that hotels provide a safe and secure environment where travelers can relax after long days of sightseeing or business meetings. Guests check in any time of the month if they want to experience comfort while they are away from home.

Consumer preferences on accommodation facilities’ promotional tools significantly differ regarding the point of residence. Those customers from Outside Nueva Vizcaya have a substantially higher preference than those from inside Nueva Vizcaya, with a statistical result of p=.001. According to Westcott and Anderson (n.d), the generally accepted description of a tourist is someone who travels at least 50 miles (80 km) from their residence for at least 24 hours for business or other reasons. On the other hand, Excursionists are considered same-day visitors (UNWTO, 2020). According to the data, most visitors are from outside of Nueva Vizcaya. Given that they are not in their own homes, it is evident that these visitors have to find a place where they can stay while they are doing their itineraries in the province.

Consumer preferences on accommodation facilities promotional tools have no significant difference in the purpose of checking in, with a statistical result of p=.363. The guests who stayed in the two selected accommodation facilities had their reasons for checking in. Their purpose is only crucial if they can book and afford a hotel reservation. For the guest, the significance lies in the purpose and the ability to secure and afford a hotel reservation. This emphasizes the interconnected nature of customer preferences, highlighting the pivotal role of accessibility and affordability in the decision-making process. Accommodation providers should recognize this dynamic to tailor promotional strategies and facilities effectively, enhancing the overall guest experience.

Income, Frequency of Checking-In, and Point of Residence are significant. At the same time, Sex, Marital Status, Recent Date of checking in, and Purpose of checking in are not substantial when grouped according to the profile variables and the promotional tool strategies.

Section 4: Respondents’ Recommendation to Improve the Accommodation Facilities’ Promotions

The researchers divided the 60 respondents into two selected accommodation facilities in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya. They have 30 respondents from Hotel 2; the other half are from Hotel 1. Among all of the respondents, only 4 (6.67%) of them gave their recommendations for the improvement of the two selected accommodation facilities’ promotional tools:

The recommendations made by respondents are mostly centered on differentiation, which includes a loyalty card, complimentary meals and mineral water upon check-in, and more food delicacies to be served. Guest loyalty should always be at the forefront of hoteliers’ minds, as it helps foster an environment that allows for sustainable growth. When guests continually return to a property, the hotel benefits from boosted occupancy and revenue and will enable hotel staff to develop relationships with guests. This helps staff better anticipate guest needs and can set a property up for a better guest experience. With this, it can be noted that hoteliers must value their customers as individuals, not just numbers that give them income—in addition, providing a complimentary meal and free mineral water upon checking in shows that these hoteliers are committed to customer satisfaction. Free breakfast or complimentary meals help hotels attract and retain guests, as business travelers that are more present in the town of Solano since Solano is a commercial town, not a tourist destination then, often prioritize convenience and value when selecting accommodation. Providing breakfast also saves guests time and effort, like giving complimentary mineral water in the hotel room upon check-in, which is a simple yet effective way to welcome guests.

After a potentially tiring journey, guests appreciate having a refreshing drink readily available in their room. And in addition, little touches like complimentary water contribute to a positive first impression of the hotel. These promotional tools that attract consumers will differentiate one hotel from the other, which will most likely give them an advantage for having a consumer that will avail their services.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Interpreting the consumer preferences for accommodation facilities’ promotional tools has led the researchers to the following conclusions:

1. Most of the guests in the two selected accommodation facilities in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, are single, come from outside the province, earn 10,000-20,000 a month, and sometimes check in for vacation. Both males and females are equal in checking-in.
2. Consumers highly prefer A.) Price, B.) Packages Desired, C.) Differentiation, D.) Timing of Packages Offered. While A.) Something New B.) Accessibility is less preferred.
3. Consumers show differences in perception in consumer preferences of accommodation facilities’ promotional tools in terms of income, frequency of checking-in, and point of residence of the guests.
4. Consumers recommend differentiation: More food delicacies to be served, Loyalty cards, free meals, and complimentary mineral water upon checking in. 

Recommendations

1. The researchers recommend that complimentary breakfasts be offered most of the time and that the menu and the products and services on the menu board be improved. Furthermore, direct booking discounts, holiday discounts, senior citizen discounts, seasonal packages, event packages, loyalty programs, and unlimited wi-fi should be emphasized in the promotional tool, such as using larger fonts for customers to see the different promotions offered in the hotel. They must be on the front page of the promotional tool.
2. For the frequency of checking in, we recommend that future researchers look for a larger group of respondents for a better result. By broadening the participant pool, future researchers can capture a more representative sample, potentially reducing biases and increasing the generaliz ability of their findings. Additionally, a more extensive and diverse respondent group can offer a richer range of perspectives, thereby enriching the depth and validity of the study’s conclusions.
3. For the point of residence, we recommend that future researchers look for qualifiers in the respondents’ profiles so they can only answer questionnaires from outside the province. Also, direct booking is significant regarding the point of residence and frequency of check-in. It might be beneficial for researchers to explore the correlation between direct booking and the frequency of check-ins to understand its impact on the point of residence.
4. Hotels, resorts, and inns may use this research to enhance their promotional tools and focus on highly preferred marketing tools such as Complimentary Breakfast, Direct Booking Discounts, Senior Citizen Discounts, Loyalty Programs, Seasonal Packages, unlimited Wi-Fi, Event Packages, and Holiday Discounts. Hospitality businesses can tailor their promotional strategies to target specific customer preferences. They could increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving higher occupancy rates and revenue.
5. To ensure the reliability and accuracy of their findings, future researchers should increase the number of respondents in their study. A larger sample size can minimize the impact of outliers and other sources of error. Thus, increasing the number of respondents is crucial for researchers seeking to conduct high-quality and rigorous research. Future researchers should consider employing diverse data collection methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of customer preferences. This multi-faceted approach can offer a more nuanced and detailed insight into the intricacies of consumer behavior within the hospitality sector.

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