Milijanko Portic’s research while affiliated with University of Novi Sad and other places

Nowadays, each tourist visits a region for certain reasons, a different type of tourism, but besides the main motives, food and beverages are an inevitable attraction. Some tourists' characteristics, such as gender, age and education of tourists, contribute significantly to food and beverages consumption. The authors recognized the importance of gender, age, and education in analyzing food and beverage consumption as an important component of tourist products. The study makes a significant conceptual contribution towards the spatial/economic development for those who are seeking to integrate local food and beverage into the tourist product.

About the Conference SITCON 2017 It is our great pleasure to present the proceedings of the third international scientific conference in the field of tourism and hospitality - SITCON 2017 (Singidunum International Tourism Conference), held on June 8, 2017 at Singidunum University in Belgrade. The principal aims of the conference were to provide a significant scientific contribution in the domain of religious tourism, as a specific product of tourist destinations, to create the basis for better understanding of the concept of religious tourism development and its impact to cultures, peace and economic development, and to help tourist destinations become competitive and recognisable owing to their religious tourism products. The study of tourism market trends are of great importance for the development of religious tourism as a tourism destination product, as well as achieving its sustainable development, particularly in relation to 2017 as the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. SITCON 2017 provided an ideal platform for the exchange of ideas and dissemination of best practices among scientists and experts from various fields, as well as representatives of the public and the private sector (travel agencies, tour operators, hotel enterprises and other segments of accommodation offer, transportation companies and companies related to other complementary activities, as well as tourism organisations, the public sector and religious communities) in relation to the conference topics. Introductory speakers at the plenary session were: Prof. Milovan Stanišić, PhD, President of Singidunum University; Mr. Rasim Ljajić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunication of the Government of the Republic of Serbia; His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia Irinej, Archbishop of Peć and Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci; His Excellency Monsignor Stanislav Hočevar, Roman Catholic Metropolitan and Archbishop of Belgrade; Sead ef. Nasufović Reisu-l-ulema, Islamic Community of Serbia; His Eminence Metropolitan of Dodoni Chrysostomos, President оf the Synodical Office for Pilgrimage Tours and Development of Religious Tourism of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece; Slobodan Unković, PhD, professor emeritus, Singidunum University; Mrs. Marija Labović, Acting Director of the National Tourism Organization of Serbia. The SITCON 2017 keynote speakers delivered compelling and valuable introductory lectures: Razaq Raj, PhD, Leeds Beckett University, UK: The Application of Destination Management Models for Religious Destinations; Renata Tomljenović, PhD, Institute for Tourism, Zagreb, Croatia: Religious tourism – a journey from a tourism product to an agent of societal transformation; Christos Petreas, Business and Tourism Economist – Synodical Office for Pilgrimage Tours and Development of Religious Tourism of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece: Productive Activities of Monasteries as Religious Tourism Products. SITCON 2017 was attended by over 250 scientific workers, tourism and hospitality experts, members of the religious communities of Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of the tourism industry, professors and students. A total of 107 authors from 14 different countries submitted papers to SITCON-2017 conference (all papers and abstracts submitted, including invited papers). The number of papers submitted for this year’s conference was 47 and the total number of accepted papers and abstracts was 37. Our extensive team of reviewers did a successful job of handling the entire review process. The Scientific Committee comprised 26 reputable professors from Serbia and 22 professors from 20 renowned foreign universities and two foreign tourism expert institutions (Australia 1; Austria: 1; Belgium 1; Bosnia and Herzegovina 1; Bulgaria 1; Croatia 4; Germany 2; Ireland 1; Israel, 1; Macedonia 1; Montenegro 1; Romania 1; Slovenia 1; South Africa 1; Spain 1; United Kingdom 3). The conference has made a significant contribution to raising awareness about religious tourism and its development as part of the special interests tourism in Serbia and the Balkan region. Esteemed readers, on behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of SITCON 2017, we would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all participants for their valuable contributions. We sincerely hope that you shall take part in our future conferences held at Singidunum University, with a new theme and innovative papers. Belgrade, October 2017 Organizing Committee of the International Scientific Conference SITCON 2017

This study aims to research differences in socio-demographic characteristics of foreign tourists in consumption of local food in the city centres Belgrade and Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted on a sample of 673 respondents. The results of this study point out the importance of socio-demographic variables in research of local gastronomy as a significant component of tourism product. The research included the determining of the impact of the city the tourists stayed at. The differences were examined via two-factor ANOVA analysis of variance. The obtained results indicate that there are differences between age groups, in the level of education, monthly income and countries that foreign tourists come from, whereas there is no difference between genders in relation to the perception of local gastronomy. At the same time, the findings indicate that there are no differences in the perception of local gastronomy between the cities of Novi Sad and Belgrade. The results confirm previous studies and point out the significance of socio-demographic characteristics of foreign tourists in their perception of local gastronomy and adapting it to the visitors, regardless of the city they visited.

Over the last few decades there has been a tendency to use the word 'allergy' to describe all kinds of unexpected reactions to certain foods and food ingredients. The recent literature is plentiful and discusses food allergens and people who are hypersensitive to certain foods. The literature suggests the prevalence of food allergy to specific allergens to be changing with age. The aim of this empirical research was to examine the hypersensitivity to certain foods in relation to age and employment of the population consisting of customers on cruise ships. The study included 404 tourists on a cruise ship who voluntarily filled food sensitivity questionnaires and submitted them to the ship staff. These questionnaires were used to analyze the allergy trends and their connection to age and employment. The procedures of descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to process the obtained data. The results of the research suggested that there was a statistically significant relationship between the persons who were hypersensitive to certain foods relative to employment and age.

Tourism development launches growth of other complementary industries. River tourism, as a special selective tourism form, experiences intensive development, with an importance for all the regions through which the Danube, as an integral part of the Rhine - Main - Danube waterway, flows. During cruising, the largest consumption is achieved on the ship itself, where meat and meat products are an integral element of every meal and represent the most expensive component of the dish. The task of this paper is to analyse the consumption of meat and meat products on six tourist ships run by to 'Grand Circle Corporation' in 2013, in order to point out the possibility of supplying them with meat and meat products from sources in the territory where the ships sail. The paper presents the current suppliers and manufacturers of meat and meat products in Republic of Serbia that could supply the company 'Grand Circle Cruise Line' and other tourist ships that cruise on the Danube. Also, the research indicates that the export of meat products from the Republic Serbia could have a significant effect on improving the agricultural conditions and food production through increased competition, assuming the Serbian manufacturers supply most of tourist ships and not only the six ships analysed in this paper. Research results, specifically, point out the possibility of increasing export of poultry and beef if the potential demand of each of the eight companies with their 54 ships which operate tourist cruises on the Danube is taken into account. The data have been systematized, analysed and presented statistically in tables and graphs.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to determine the sensory quality of food in restaurants by professional food evaluators and to research the impact of education, age and number of employees on the quality of food. Design/methodology/approach – In the first phase five trained food tasters evaluated the sensory quality of food. In the second phase, the analysis of the structure of employees was done by establishing their level of education, age and number of employees. In the third phase the regression and correlation analysis was done with the aim to establish the impact of the level of education, age and number of employees on the sensory quality of food. Findings – The sensory evaluation has shown that the evaluated food is of moderate quality. Correlation matrix has shown that the education level of employees has a high impact on the sensory quality of food. There is a correlation between the number of employees, their age and their education. Practical implications – Obtained results are the indicators of the quality of food in restaurants in the region and they can serve for the improvement of quality. They have shown that education and staff training can contribute to a better quality of food. Established methodology can also contribute to the practical evaluation of quality. Originality/value – This paper is reflected on the specific application of methodology of the sensory analysis of food in restaurants. The paper pointed to the impact of employees on the sensory quality of food by statistical methods. Statistical results which point to the great impact of the level of education of employees on the sensory quality of food in restaurants are particularly valuable.

The main role of milk and milk products in the technology of confectionery products (chocolates, caramele-candy products, dairy products, spreads, etc.) is to increase the nutritional value of the final product and to influence some sensory characteristics of quality (appearance, consistence/texture, flavor). In this study, mixtures of milk and cocoa spreads of a new composition with increased content of milk components were produced, and then assessed for sensory quality traits, peroxide value, free fatty acid content and the content of heavy metals (lead, cadmium and copper) during storage from 30 to 180 days at room temperature (18-20 degrees C). The samples were evaluated using the analytical-descriptive sensory analysis (point system) with description of the dominant properties (appearance-color, surface gloss, consistence-spreadability, dynamic property of melting, the consistence in the oral cavity-oiliness and flavor-odor and taste). The results of sensory analysis were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance MANOVA, LSD and Levene's test. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the composition of mixtures of milk and cocoa spreads significantly affects all characteristics, whereas the storage time significantly affects the appearance, consistence, i.e., spreadability, and taste of the product.