Press Contact: Erik Wolf, Executive Director World Food Travel Association (+1) 503-213-3700 (GMT – 8) erik@worldfoodtravel.org

Portland, Oregon, USA and Jakarta, INDONESIA, 6 February 2015. – Today the World Food Travel Association (WFTA), the world’s leading authority on food and drink tourism, announced its newest certified ambassador to join its extended world-wide family. Amanda Niode has been certified as an ambassador to represent the Association in Indonesia.

Food and drink consumption is the Number One activity in which travelers engage. One hundred percent (100%) of travelers eat and drink. They can return home with memories of a chain coffee and hamburger, or they can travel back sharing stories of unique and memorable local delicacies like authentic brioche in France, strawberry juice in Brazil, or sumac in Jordan, just to name a few examples.

Food and drink tourism is much more than visits to restaurants and wineries. In total, 20 different sectors of the food, drink, travel and hospitality industries are represented. Other activities in which food travelers engage include: • Visiting local or gourmet grocery stores to browse and purchase food souvenirs • Tour of brewery, distillery or winery and/or meet the brewer/distiller/winemaker • Cooking classes featuring local cuisine • Visits to farms and food/drink factories • Attend food or drink-themed events • Walking or multi-day escorted tours of cities and regions featuring culinary highlights • Use of multiple dining smartphone apps and hard-to-find websites to dig deep to uncover locals-only foodie secrets • Sharing pictures and videos of food-centric activities with friends and family

Amanda Niode is the Chair of Omar Niode Foundation (www.omarniode.org), a non-profit organization working to raise awareness about the quality of education and human resources in the field of agriculture, food, and culinary arts. Some of the Foundation's programs comprise thesis scholarships, travel awards, books publication, and awareness campaigns. Amanda Katili Niode is a Certified Culinary Travel Professional at the World Food Travel Association. She focuses on Food and Travel in Gorontalo on the Wallacea, a transition zone between the Oriental and Australian Regions, with hope to explore the area’s culinary richness and benefits for local communities.

The Association certifies individuals who seek to formalize their professional relationship with the organization. To become certified, an individual must first submit an online application, which is reviewed by committee. If recommended, the Ambassador is invited to proceed with online training to teach about the history of the organization and food tourism industry and the Association’s products and services. The Ambassador is required to successfully pass a rigorous final exam. Afterwards, the Ambassador must write a commitment letter that explains what he or she will do during the year to promote relations between the region and our Association. By the time an Ambassador is certified, the Association is confident that he or she is fully prepared to represent our Association locally.

Today’s announcement brings the latest number of certified Ambassadors to 35. The Ambassador program was devised in 2014 to help the Association spread the word about the importance of food tourism around the world and connect local areas with the larger world-wide food tourism community.

The World Food Travel Association (WFTA) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) and the world’s leading authority on food tourism. The Association is at the forefront of food and drink tourism development with cutting-edge resources for today’s food, drink, travel, hospitality and media professionals. We grow and professionalize the food and drink tourism industry by serving as the central hub that supports the creation of successful, profitable businesses and the protection and promotion of local culinary cultures world-wide. Currently our community supports nearly 35,000 professionals in 135 countries.

Get in touch with Amanda Niode amanda@omarniode.org www.omarniode.org

World Food Travel Association (WFTA) www.worldfoodtravel.org

WFTA’s social media links www.worldfoodtravel.org/social

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