Carol Costello

Culinary tourism: Satisfaction with a culinary event utilizing importance-performance grid analysis:

The aim of this research was to provide a practical method for assessing satisfaction at a culinary event. Twenty-seven culinary event attributes items were analyzed from an international culinary event. MANOVA was employed to identify differences between importance and performance measures. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) was subsequently used to assist culinary event organizers while identifying critical performance attributes in order to improve customer satisfaction. Findings revealed food and beverage prices, come/ go, convenient parking, and food tasting had high importance scores, yet low performance measures. The use of multiple regression analysis confirmed three out of the four attribute items had a predictive effect on overall satisfaction.

Segmenting Visitors to a Culinary Event: Motivations, Travel Behavior, and Expenditures

In this study culinary event attendees were segmented on the basis of push motivations. Using a factor-cluster approach with data collected from an international culinary event, the study segmented culinary attendees into two meaningful groups. The results of the analyses can be summarized as: 1) food event, event novelty, and socialization were the push motivations identified for attending a culinary event, 2) motivations were clustered into two segments: food focusers and event seekers, 3) the two clusters were statistically different from each other based on gender, age, income, education, and expenditures. This research makes a contribution to the area of consumer behavior research in culinary tourism from both the theoretical and empirical perspectives. It is believed that results of the present study will be useful to organizers of culinary events and/or destination managers.

An examination of shopping behavior of visitors to Tennessee according to tourist typologies

The overall objective was to determine tourist typologies and if differences exist with souvenir purchases, sources of information used by tourists to select a place to shop, and shopping behavior. Potential visitors to Tennessee were grouped into categories labeled City, Historical, Active, Alone, and Tour Groups. Data from the survey indicated City individuals spent the most time and money shopping while Active individuals spent the least amount of time. Word-of-mouth recommendation from family or friends was the most important factor in choosing where to shop. Crafts, maps, and books from the area were important to purchase. The determination of tourist styles may aid tourism promoters in souvenirs to offer.

Microbiological Analysis of Food Contact Surfaces in Child Care Centers

ABSTRACT A study of six child care centers was conducted to assess the microbiological quality of three food contact surfaces (one food serving surface and two food preparation surfaces) and one non-food contact surface (diaper changing surface) to determine the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitization procedures within the facilities. Aerobic plate counts (APCs) and Escherichia coli/coliform counts of 50-cm2 areas on all surfaces were determined using standard microbiological swabbing methods. Samples were taken three times a day (preopening, lunchtime, and following final cleanup) twice per month for 8 months in each child care center (n = 288 sampling times). Mean log APCs over the survey period were 1.32, 1.71, 1.34, 1.96, 1.50, and 1.81 log CFU/50 cm2 for the six centers. Mean log coliform counts were 0.15, 0.40, 0.33, 1.41, 0.28, and 1.12 CFU/50 cm2 for the same centers. Coliforms were detected in 283 of 1,149 (24.7%) samples, with counts ranging from 1 to 2,000 CFU/50 cm2, while E. coli was detected in 18 of 1,149 (1.6%) samples, with counts ranging from 1 to 35 CFU/50 cm2. The findings of this study demonstrated that the extent of bacterial contamination was dependent on the center, time of day, and the area sampled. While no direct correlation between contamination and illness can be made, given the high risk of food-borne illness associated with children, microbial contamination of food contact or non-food contact surfaces is an aspect of food safety that requires more attention. Emphasis on training and the development of modified standard sanitation operating procedures for child care centers are needed to reduce potential hazards.

Purchasing behavior of tourists towards Tennessee-made products.

Abstract Purchasing behaviors of tourists for Tennessee-made food products were examined. Amount of units purchased, approximate expenditures, and where products were purchased were recorded. Over 95% of the individuals purchased Tennessee-made food products for themselves and 64% purchased the products as gifts. The majority of the products were purchased at speciality stores or tourist sites. Products most often purchased included candies/confections and chocolates. Quality of the products was the most important factor in the decision to purchase. The average tourist visiting Tennessee purchased 4.9 items and spent

Predictors of body mass index in female parents whose children participate in a competitive, creative, problem-solving program

34.60 on these products. Processors of state-made products and tourism departments need to market the quality and uniqueness of their products at speciality shops and tourist sites.

Influence of Push and Pull Motivations on Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions within a Culinary Tourism Event

Background Recent findings from our research indicate that children participating in a creative afterschool program exhibit overall healthier lifestyle practices compared to the average US pediatric population. This observation led us to investigate the prevalence of overweight/obesity and lifestyle practices of their parents. Objective To determine the strongest predictors of weight status for female parents whose children were participating in such creative afterschool program. Design Surveyed subjects were parents of children who competed in the 2008 and 2009 Destination ImagiNation® Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee. A total of 4,608 children participated in data collection, with parental consent. For the combined 2 years, 1,118 parents, 87% of whom were females (n=1,032) completed online questionnaires, which were based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and included self-reported height, weight, dietary intake, physical activity, and socioeconomic status. The majority of this population was white, and less than 5% were African American or Hispanic. Results We report here results obtained for the female parents. Only 45.2% of these female parents were overweight/obese, compared to a national average of 64.1% reported by the National Health Nutrition Examination Surveys for 2007—2008. Furthermore, this population was significantly more physically active compared to national average. Most parents (76%) had completed a college degree and reported high incomes. Parents with the lowest income were the most obese in this population. Finally, we found a significant association between parent and child weight status. Conclusions These studies demonstrate that female parents of children who have healthy lifestyles were physically active, which likely accounts for the parents’ lower overweight/obesity rates. In addition to physical activity, income and percentage of calories from fat were all predictors of weight status.