FESTIVALS AS A FORM OF RURAL TOURISM AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FESTIVALS IN DONA ANA COUNTY, NM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0226633
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2011
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2016
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
1620 STANDLEY DR ACADEMIC RESH A RM 110
LAS CRUCES,NM 88003-1239

Performing Department
Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management

Non Technical Summary
New Mexico is known as an arts community and tourists can experience arts through festivals which were held across New Mexico. The purposes of creating festivals are to increase residents quality of life, driving tourism, and making an economic impact. Festivals generate jobs, sales, media attention, and marketing through the planning and compliances with ordinances and rules and regulations of municipal. Host communities can gain positive images and publicity from well-executed festivals. In addition, festivals have been used by local communities as a means to preserve their culture and history through arts, crafts, and performance as well as to attract outsiders or tourists to the community. Festivals can be found in many communities and have become one of the fastest activities that gain tourist attentions.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
607	6099	3010	50%
608	6099	3010	50%

Knowledge Area
608 - Community Resource Planning and Development; 607 - Consumer Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Keywords

tourism

festivals

economic development

Goals / Objectives
The objectives of this study are: 1) To identify characteristics of festival attendees; 2) To investigate attendees use of information sources; 3) To examine attendees a) motivations in attending the festival, b) evaluation of the festivals performance, and c) overall satisfaction with the event; 4) To evaluate the festival loyalty; 5) To analyze the economic impact of the festival on the Dona Ana community.

Project Methods
This research project will comprise five phases: Phase I: Develop a questionnaire, conduct a pilot test with a festival in the Dona Ana County, analyze pilot test; Phase II: Adjust a questionnaire from the results of the pilot test, actual data collection with 2-3 festivals in Dona Ana County, NM; Phase III: Use a questionnaire as a standardized questionnaire and contact festival organizer to use this questionnaire as a tool to collect data at the festival. This should create a consistency in data analysis and interpretation throughout the festivals in the Dona Ana County; Phase IV: Select 3 festivals with approval of the festival organizers who collected data by using the questionnaire in phase III to conduct data analysis to evaluate festival trends and economic impact of festivals on Dona Ana County; Phase V: Publication of festival attendees characteristics, trends of festivals and economic impact of festivals in Dona Ana County.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems:The PI has left the university prior to the project end date, nothing further to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The PI has left the university prior to the project end date, nothing further to report.

Publications

Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: People who are interested in festivals Changes/Problems: There is no major change. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The continuity of the festival depends on locals' support, their satisfaction and loyalty which is shown through recommending the festival to others or attending the festival themselves years after years. Know what customers want and need andprovideproducts/services to meet what they wants and needs are very important and it is applicable to other businesses. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? In a small community, economic impact might not be the main goal of hosting the festival. The festival in small community attracts more locals than non-locals, serves as a social gathering place for locals, and promotes a sense of community pride as locals work together to host a successful event years after year.The results of this study indicate that the RenFaire impacts the community’s social and cultural structure and attendees’ quality of life, which is perhaps more significant than its economic impact.The festival provides a place and space for artists to showcase their talent through the arts, exchange their ideas, and gain inspiration.Other relatively small, local festivals seeking to enhance the region’s quality of life and impact the community in other ways may consider the success of this festival when managing their own event. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Submit the results for publication.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? One publication submitted to the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration (December 2013). One presentation at Euro-CHRIE in Germany (October 2013). Find out: The majority of respondents who attendeed 40th Renaissance ArtsFaire were female, married, repeat customers, residents of Doña Ana county, and earned USD 49,999 or less annually. Most respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with their overall event experience, and the festival enjoys very strong customer loyalty. On average, attendees spent USD 61.30 at the festival.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Hubbard, K. W., Mandabach, K. H., McDowall, S., VanLeeuwen, D. M. (2012). Perceptions of Quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Approximate Spending at an American Wine Festival. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 10(4), 337-351.

Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Last year we obtained permission from a new Executive Director of the Dona Ana Arts Council to use data previously collected from the 39th and 40th Renaissance ArtsFaire in 2010 and 2011 to do data analysis; analyzed data from the 40th Renaissance ArtsFaire (Attendees' satisfaction and economic impact on the Dona Ana community); collected data from the La Vina Fall Harvest Festival, with 501 respondents; submitted results to the owner of the La Vina Winery on February 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
We will know characteristics of festival attendees, their satisfaction, their loyalty and the economic impact of the festival on the Dona Ana community.

Publications

• Hubbard, K. W., Mandabach, K. H., McDowall, S., VanLeeuwen, D. M. (2012). Perceptions of Quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Approximate Spending at an American Wine Festival. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 10(4), 337-351.
• McDowall, S. (2011). An analysis of the characteristics of attendees of the 39th annual Renaissance ArtsFaire, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. Proceedings of the 9th APAC-CHIRE, June 2-5, Hong Kong.

Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project has just started. There are no results yet to report. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Nothing to report at this time.

Publications

• No publications reported this period