TANJUNG PINANG WATERFRONT BUSINESS CENTER FOR SMES: WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE DECISION TO VISIT?

Abstract

This research aimed to test several hypotheses regarding the influence of events and culinary variants on the interest of the people of the Riau Islands to visit Tanjung Pinang Waterfront. The research findings demonstrate that both events and culinary variants play a significant role in influencing the interest of the people of the Riau Islands to visit the Tanjung Pinang Waterfront. The research population consists of Riau Islands residents, and a sample of 100 individuals was selected using quota sampling. The correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between events and interest in visiting, with a correlation coefficient of 0.718. Similarly, the correlation between culinary variants and interest in visiting was strong, with a coefficient of 0.753. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that approximately 65.1% of the variance in visiting interest can be explained by these two factors, while the remaining 34.9% may be influenced by other unexamined variables. Based on these findings, it is recommended that stakeholders, including local authorities and business owners, focus on enhancing and promoting events and culinary options at the Tanjung Pinang Waterfront to attract more visitors from the Riau Islands community and potentially broaden their appeal to a wider audience.