BaliTrip: A Mobile Based Recommender System for Optimizing Local Tourist and Local Dining Options in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental

Decision making for travel and tour can be overwhelming due to the huge amount of information and different individual preferences to consider. Tourists are often indecisive about where to go when reaching new and unfamiliar places because of a large number of options for the ideal area. We present in this study a mobile-recommender system called “BaliTrip” to optimize tourist destinations and dining options in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. The study employs a Decision Support System (DSS) with the integration of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate user preferences for personalized recommendations. Result of the AHP have come up four (4) important criteria to consider in the decision-making process: tourist activities; facilities; cost; and accessibility of destination. The app is then simulated using Flutter software development kit. BaliTrip mobile application has functionalities that allows tourists to interact with the system to plan trips, budget constraints, and generate personalized, optimized travel itineraries based on their preferences. Based on the conducted system usability evaluation, BaliTrip has resulted to a “high” user satisfaction. 

Keywords: BaliTrip, tourist destinations, DSS, AHP, recommender system 

Corresponding author's email: srcb.penkiancirel@gmail.com