Marie-Annick Courtier is a native of Paris, France, a Wellness and Culinary coach, an author and Sommelier. A member of IFWTWA since 2016, Marie shares with us her inspiration for writing books, and her passion for healthy eating and coaching others. She has authored an impressive number of books, 13 to be exact. We are so pleased to have her share her insights with us and hope you enjoy getting to know Marie as much as we have. Image: Marie (center) surrounded by IFWTWA friends,

Imagine a five-day immersion trip into the heart of Louisiana. A group of eight IFWTWA journalists toured the best Lafayette has to offer. The Southern spirit was ever present as they were absorbed into the Cajun and Louisiana Creole culture. 

We are so excited to announce the 2019 IFWTWA Annual Conference will be held November 11-13, 2019 at La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza^TM in the exciting and culturally rich city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. IFWTWA Conferences are open to both members, their guests and any interested parties wishing to explore becoming a travel writer or experienced writers looking for networking and educational opportunities. The Conference focuses on professional development, industry connections, exhibitors and sponsor brand exposure.

IFWTWA is proud to give back to the food, wine and travel industries by selecting promising students preparing for employment in the tourism and hospitality industries to receive our Hospitality Education Scholarship (HES) Award. We are pleased to award the 2018 scholarship to Darelle Rancap, a student in the Olympic College Culinary Arts Program in Bremerton, Washington, USA.

Darelle consistently maintains high academic performance and has a passion for learning and succeeding in the culinary arts. She has taken on leadership and supervisory roles with new incoming students, and she has been involved with every culinary event in which the college has engaged, both on and off campus. Darelle excels at plating and artistic presentation of her food. She plans to complete her education in the culinary arts and continually progress in the workforce with the goal of becoming an executive chef. Chef Christopher Plemmons, Darelle’s advisor at Olympic College, has endorsed her for the HES Award. Darelle receives an IFWTWA Hospitality Education Scholarship Award Certificate and an award check with funds to assist with her educational expenses. Congratulations, Darelle!

"The wine world has its share of eponymous regions; so famous, that just the mere murmur of their name evokes a sense of wonder.  Chateauneuf-du-Pape is one of those regions. The rich, bold and sensuous red wines that are created from this parcel of land in the south of France have been renowned for hundreds of years. For those of us who love wine Chateauneuf-du-Pape is practically a place of pilgrimage.

"For whiskey enthusiasts, a visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a premier trip to make. For bourbon fans, it’s Mecca. Ninety-five percent of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky where the limestone encrusted spring-fed waters contribute to the flavors of these delicious whiskeys."  ...Nancy Zaffaro

Every year, IFWTWA members enter their best work for the Excellence in Journalism Award competition. Many entries prove our IFWTWA members have what it takes to excel in the food, wine and travel writing fields but only one entry rises to the top.

Please join us in congratulating Kristin Henning, winner of the 2018 Excellence in Journalism Award for her story "Finding Your Rhythm on the Camino de Santiago" published at Travel Past 50. "Finding Your Rhythm" virtually puts the reader on the road with Kristin. The story is not only rich in its descriptions of the experience but also explores the question of what might motivate one to take on the popular pilgrimage. The story goes beyond mere place to plumb the depths of what makes walking the Camino a transformative experience. Kristin’s award includes a $500 cash prize, an award certificate, and promotion via IFWTWA news, social media and website. 

"If the Middle East is on your bucket list, Qatar is a country you won’t want to miss. Aside from being one of the wealthiest economies and the country with the highest per capita income in the world, you’ll find this destination teeming with culture, uber-luxurious hotels and some pretty amazing food."  —Beth Graham 

The International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association is proud to announce DIGIPROVE as an official sponsor. Online theft of photos and stories is a constant threat to writers and artists. Internet scammers threaten and try to extort users into paying fees for alleged copyright violations. Digiprove protects the theft of stories and photos published by our journalists on our flagship publication, Food, Wine & Travel Magazine.