Digital Transformation in Tourism Based on Android Applications for Guides and Recommendations for Tourist Destinations

Muhammad Aqil Haibatul Akbar (1), Jaja Kustija (2), Heri Setiyorini (3), Diki Fahrizal (4)
(1) Master of Tourism Study Program, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
(2) Study Program of Electrical Engineering Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
(3) Master of Tourism Study Program, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
(4) Study Program of Electrical Engineering Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
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M. A. Haibatul Akbar, J. Kustija, H. Setiyorini, and D. Fahrizal, “Digital Transformation in Tourism Based on Android Applications for Guides and Recommendations for Tourist Destinations”, Int. J. Adv. Sci. Eng. Inf. Technol., vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 410–418, Apr. 2025.
Tourism plays an essential role in the global economy, including Indonesia, which is experiencing significant growth thanks to technological advances and digitalization. Challenges such as a lack of integrated information and difficulties in navigation are still often encountered. This can hamper the potential for exploring tourist destinations in the tourism sector. This study introduces "ChillGo App," designed to address these issues through digital transformation, employing the ADDIE method for a systematic approach. Materials for this research included data on 523 tourist destinations and more than 200 MSMEs in West Java, collected through various techniques such as searching, crawling, and scrapping. The method involved user needs analysis, intuitive interface design, and algorithm creation, using integer encoding for Collaborative Filtering and TF-IDF Vectorizer with Cosine Similarity for Content-Based Filtering. Evaluation with 330 respondents demonstrated the app’s effectiveness in providing accurate recommendations and improving destination visibility. Results indicated that the ChillGo App effectively provides accurate recommendations and enhances the visibility of tourist destinations. Beyond serving as a guide, the ChillGo App promotes local MSMEs, supporting economic growth and cultural heritage and showcasing digital technology’s role in enhancing tourism. The implications for further research suggest that integrating more advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, could further enhance the App’s capabilities. Expanding the dataset to include more regions could improve the app’s relevance and effectiveness. This research underscores the potential of digital in overcoming traditional challenges in the tourism sector and emphasizes the importance of continuous innovation for sustainable tourism development.  

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