HONORARY BODY

HONORARY CHAIRMAN

Rafael Ansón
President of Honor, International Academy of Gastronomy
Dr Honoris Causa and Director Gastronomy Chair, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio
Ambassador for Sustainable Tourism, UNWTO

AMBASSADORS

Philippe François
President, World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (AMFORHT) 

Latin America
Adolfo Favieres (Founder Ambassador)
Ambassador for Spain and Iberoamerica, WTTC
Secr. General’s Advisor, UNWTO 

José Carlos de Santiago (Founder Ambassador)
Vice President, Iberoamerican Academy of Gastronomy
Founder President, Grupo Excelencias Comunicación 

Tomás Poveda (Founder Ambassador)
President, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL), Miami
Former General Manager, Casa de América
Former General Manager of Media and Public Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain 

Countries in alphabetical order:

Argentina
Javier Espina
Director of the Federal Council of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and former Minister of Tourism of Mendoza

Brasil
Márcio Favilla
Former Executive Director for Competitiveness and Operational Programmes, UNWTO

Chile
Miloš Mišković
Former Director, SERNATUR Valparaíso

China
Margaret Chen
Founder CEO, Optimus Horizon

France
Hervé Novelli
President, Conseil Superieur de l’Oenotourisme

Italy
Nicola D’Auria
President, Wine Tourism Italia (MTV)

Moldova
Irina Bîstritchi
Deputy Director, Moldova National Office of Vine and Wine

Portugal
Maria João de Almeida
President, Wine Tourism Portugal (APENO)

South Africa
Monika Iuels
Acting Chief Marketing Officer, Official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion, Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape (WESGRO)

Spain
Germán Porras
Former General Director of Tourism and General Director of Tourspain, Ministry of Tourism 

Turkey
Fatma Bilge
President, Urla Viticulture and Winery Association (UVWA)

Uruguay
Arnaldo Nardone
Former Director of Tourism for Canelones region
Former President of the Montevideo Convention Bureau

MANAGEMENT BODY

PRESIDENT CEO
José Antonio Vidal
Founder President CEO, Wine Tourism Spain (AEE)
Founder President CEO, Spanish Enotourism Institute (IEE)
2018 Spanish National Wine Tourism Prize
Wine Tourism Management, Master ‘VitEno’, Polytechic Univ. Madrid

SENIOR ADVISOR
Carlos Vogeler
Former Executive Director, UNWTO
Former Director for the Americas, UNWTO
Former Worldwide IIRR Vice-President, Wyndham Group

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
Tania Zavala
Former Project Manager, Mediapro TV and Ecoembes

REGIONAL DIRECTORS
(Regions in alphabetical order)

Africa
Marisah Nieuwoudt (SAF)
Manager, Wine Tourism South Africa (VinPro)

America, Latam
Pablo Singerman (ARG)
Director Economic Observatory Wine Tourism and MICE, Ministry of Tourism Argentina

America, Northern
David Furer (USA)
Adult Beverage Communicator & Marketer

Asia, China
Jiawei Jiang (CHN)
Assistant Director, Monitoring Center for UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories in China

Europe, Eastern and Asia, Western-Central
Leonid Gelibterman (RUS)
President CEO, International Center of Wine and Gastronomy

Europe, Western-Central-Mediterranean
Erik Wolf (GBR)
Founder CEO, World Food Travel Association

Oceania
Robin Shaw (AUS)
Founder & CEO, Wine Tourism Australia

DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS

COMMUNICATIONS

• SOCIAL MEDIA
  Concetta D’Emma
  Founder, Food & Green Marketing Strategies and Unconventional Hospitality, Story Telling expert

• PRESS DELEGATES:
  Italia: Concetta D’Emma
  LatAm:Paula Labonia and Laura Gutiérrez
  Founders, ‘The Fire Fly Solutions’ Communication
  Spain: Teresa Cruz
  Former Marketing Director, ‘Brand Spain’ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain)

MICE
Arnaldo Nardone
Director, MICE International Consulting
Former World President, ICCA

ADMINISTRATION
Mercedes Sánchez
Secretary General & Finance, Wine Tourism Spain (AEE)

LEGAL
Maurizio Di Ubaldo
President, Di Ubaldo Advocats

CORPORATE ASSISTANT
Dina Gimbatova
Former Assistant,  Four Seasons Hotels Qatar

‘MARKET INTELLIGENCE’ COMMISSIONS MEMBERS
(in alphabetical order)

Almudena Alberca (ESP)
Master of Wine
Technical Director, Wineries Grupo Palacios

Ana Paula Pais (POR)
Head of Education, Turismo de Portugal

April Cullom (USA-ESP)
CEO, Global Bridges LLC Consultancy 

Diana Isac (UK)
Founder CEO, Winerist

Gastón Ré (ARG)
Sommelier
Founder, Wine Tourism Argentina
Tourism and Hospitality Manager, Winery Luigi Bosca
Former Tourism Manager, municipality Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza) 

Jesús Díez (MEX)
Prof. Degree in Gastronomy, University Tec de Monterrey 
Former Director, Winery Santo Tomás, Ensenada

José María de Juan (ESP)
Partner & Director, KOAN Consulting

José Ramón Lissarrague (ESP)
Full Professor and Dir. Master ‘VitEno’, Polytechnic Univ. Madrid
Director, GiViTi Consultancy

Julio Valles (ESP)
President, Castilla y León Academy of Gastronomy

Lluís Tolosa (ESP)
Sociologist, consultant and writer specialized in wine tourism

Mariela Gutelli (PER)
Wine Tourism Manager, Winery Viña Tacama
Founder and Manager, Caliptra Consulting-Strategic Marketing 

Paula Sousa (POR)
Lecturer Wine Tourism: Lisbon and Minho Universities, IPP-Porto
Wine Tourism manager, Adega Aveleda

Rodrigo Lemos (ARG)
Wine Tourism Advisor, Corpor. Vitivinícola Argentina (COVIAR)
Director, Academic Program International (Gob. Mendoza)