ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the status of Peñablanca as a tourism destination in Region 2. It focused on evaluating Peñablanca using the 7 A’s framework—Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation, Activities, Amenities, Available Packages, and Ancillary Services—as well as the push and pull factors influencing tourism. A mixed-methods research approach was employed, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method was used to describe the profile of the participants and assess their evaluation of Peñablanca, Cagayan in terms of the 7 A’s and the influence of push and pull factors on its status as a tourism site. The qualitative method was applied to analyze the problems and challenges encountered by participants regarding tourism in Peñablanca, Cagayan. The study involved 276 participants, including 2 tourism officers, 24 barangay captains, 100 local residents, and 150 tourists. The data collection instrument was based on a tourism guidebook to determine the available resources in Peñablanca. The 7 A’s were adapted from the studies of Buhalis (2003) and David B. (2023), while the push and pull factors were derived from Subadra et al. The results of the study showed a significant effect of tourists’ assessments on the extent to which push and pull factors influence the status of the municipality of Peñablanca when grouped according to their profile variables. However, there was no significant difference in the push factors when tourist participants were grouped according to their place of residence. The findings of the study were used to propose a plan of action to enhance tourism in Peñablanca, Cagayan.

Keywords: Accommodation, amenities, attraction, available packages, tourism destination
https://doi.org/ 10.57180/xsic2753