International Presentation
TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND LEISURE MANAGEMENT (FSLM) Subang Jaya, Malaysia Postgraduate Research Colloquium 2023 November 3-4, 2023
COVID19 pandemic has been a big setback to all business sectors in the tourism industry specifically the Leisure and Recreation sector. It ruptured its overall business operations affecting their survival. This study analyzes the possible ways for the sector to recover its halted business operations not in a traditional way but on a hybrid manner. From the data gathered, the study provided a conceptual framework patterned from the Tourism Recovery Response Plan (TRRP) of the Philippine Department of Tourism combined with the business operations variables and financial performances of selected leisure and recreation businesses in Region IV-A to formulate the intended plan. The study used a mixed method approach from a combination of quantitative research method through online survey from the leisure and recreation services business owners in the region to understand their perception on optimizing and collaborating for operational recovery and a qualitative research method for selected stakeholders of the sector for additional data specified in the research problem specifically on their challenges and their forecast for the sector. To make the study reach wider participants, the research used a random sampling technique to gather as many thoughts as possible. All in all, this research was able to gather 58 survey participants and 3 stakeholders for the interview. Respondent’s perception on Optimization in terms of Social Protection and Livelihood, Entrepreneurial Survival, Product Development and Marketing, Infrastructure and Investments and Readiness of LGUs and Destinations gathered positive responses same as Collaboration in terms of Operations, Human Resource, Marketing, Information and Technology and External Policies. However, financially, based on the gathered financial statements of the respondents, the enterprises had a mixed result on their performances but when pandemic started majority of them suffered losses is quite expected given the circumstances. Also there are significant differences on Readiness of LGUs, Social Protection and Livelihood, Human Resource and mostly on , Information and Technology. Adding the inputs from the interviews of the stakeholders, these significant differences are the main focus on the intended Hybrid Approach Plan for Operational Recovery.
