Avaliação do uso de aplicativos móveis para a coleta de dados em campo na metodologia de inventário de oferta turística

Abstract

The Brazilian tourism sector plays a crucial role in the economy, serving as the main source of income in some small municipalities and often driving regional development in economic, social, and cultural spheres. However, for this growth to occur, sustainable and strategic planning is essential. In this context, tools such as Tourism Supply Inventory (TSI) methodologies are fundamental to support managers in administration and decision-making processes. This study aimed to evaluate the use of mobile applications to improve data collection efficiency in the field and to minimize the challenges currently faced in the context of tourism supply inventories. The research adopted a qualitative approach with exploratory and descriptive characteristics, allowing for an understanding of the need for applications to support data collection, based on the perceptions of undergraduate students who participated in the study on tourist attractions in the municipality of Solânea-PB. The data were collected through a questionnaire developed using the Google Forms tool. The respondents' statements revealed that, although traditional methods for data collection in TSIs are not sufficient to make the process more efficient, the development of a specific application for TSI data collection is not currently seen as necessary. Instead, commonly used software tools (such as Google Forms and Microsoft Word) can be highly effective in addressing some limitations of traditional methods. Furthermore, many of the barriers in the methodology are primarily related to a lack of planning and training to guide those applying the method.