Tourist lodges in the department of Alto Paraná: analysis of the use of digital platforms for the promotion of their services and facilities, 2024

Abstract

This research analyzes how accommodations in the Alto Paraná Department use digital platforms and social media as a marketing tool to market their services. The research was based on a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach. The population was tourist inns located in the Alto Paraná Department, giving a total of 28 establishments registered as such in the National Registry of Tourist Service Providers of Paraguay (REGISTUR). The sample was based on the operating status of the inns, with only six tourist inns in Alto Paraná. For data collection, a checklist was created taking into account the municipality in which the establishment is located, the exact address of the establishment, the services it offers, and its presence on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The main results show that 83% of tourist inns in Alto Paraná have a presence on Facebook, while 66% have an Instagram account, and only 50% are on TikTok. It was also determined how inns use their social media accounts. It is concluded that social media represents a very valuable tool for the positioning and competitiveness of a service business, especially a small one. Lodging establishments constantly experience peaks of low and high occupancy, so having a presence on social media provides access to extremely useful promotional and sales tools.