The Urgency of Mixed Methods Studies in Tourism Research For the Development of Tourist Destinations and Attractions: A Practical Application in Tanjungpinang City, Indonesia

Abstract

Many literature reviews have found that most tourism and hospitality industry research uses quantitative methods; this implies the dominance of the positivist paradigm, which only observes the surface of a case. Tourism science is complicated because it has a multiplier effect involving social, economic, political, technological, cultural, religious, and other aspects with different complexities, so to get an in-depth study, it must be analyzed with a different approach. This study claims to obtain relevant and unbiased findings in formulating development strategies in the tourism industry; the analysis must be carried out through testing (quantitative) and observation (qualitative). This study describes how to apply mixed methods and the process of mixing data. The researchers used tourism data in Tanjungpinang City for matching practice as a case study. Using the concurrent triangulation model and the IFAS EFAS approach, which is a balanced analysis of quantitative and qualitative mixtures, then reanalyzed by sorting out internal and external problems to produce an IE matrix. The data collection method used is questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The quantitative data were analyzed using the percentage technique, and the qualitative using the Miles and Huberman technique. The results describe the tourism potential that can be developed to become a tourism icon of Tanjujgpinan City, namely art, culture, and natural attractions, but the supporting infrastructure still needs to be improved. The IE analysis produces a matrix in cell II, namely the grow and built strategy; this strategy can help tourism planners determine the right direction of development and strategy.

Charting a Strategic Model for Post-Covid-19 Tourism Destination Development: Insights From Riau Islands' Top Foreign-Tourist Cities, Indonesia

“…This method enables researchers to gather both data types in a single data collection stage, enhancing the completeness and accuracy of the obtained data. The choice to blend qualitative and quantitative methods is contingent on the research object, aiming to complement or deepen the study by obtaining relevant data, particularly when exploring aspects of tourism that require varied approaches, such as geographical, economic, and sociological perspectives (Rianty & Asty, 2021;Rianty et al, 2022).…”

“…This research also uses the SWOT Internal and External Factors Analysis Summary (IFAS EFAS) approach to develop a post-Covid-19 tourism development strategy for the Riau Islands, utilizing the General Electric model (Rangkuti, 2014;Rianty et al, 2022). The research focused on tourist attractions in Batam and Bintan and included foreign tourists visiting for tourism purposes and related stakeholders.…”

“…The results of data processing using mixed methods with the concurrent triangulation model can be presented in a matrix or table so that researchers can easily carry out analysis (Creswell & Clark, 2018;Sugiyono, 2020;Rianty et al, 2022); therefore, researchers display Batam tourism data in Table 1 below. Based on quantitative and qualitative data in Table 1, the analysis reveals that a majority of tourists sought information about Batam before their visit.…”

“…This alignment corroborates with the analysis from the IE Matrix. Strategies aligned with aggression and growth, such as backward, forward, and horizontal integration, along with market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification, can be effectively implemented (Rianty et al, 2022).…”