Our tours focus on providing guests with an insider's experience
that captures the essence of the cuisine, the people, and the
culture. We do this by both partnering with other culinary professionals
and designing our own itineraries. Read what our satisfied clients
have to say about us! Testimonials
Melissa Joachim, who founded Tour de Forks in 2001, was born in
Melbourne, Australia. Melissa's love for food and travel ignited
when she traveled the world for three years, studying and living
in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This passion grew
and inspired the creation of Tour de Forks. Now a resident of
New York City for over fifteen years, Melissa has worked as a designer
and art director for Newsweek, ABCNews, and Disney. Melissa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member.
Lisa Goldman, who is a co-founder, loves to travel and eat and this
enthusiasm has found a home in Tour de Forks. Lisa works on the
marketing, advertising, and sales end of Tour de Forks. Lisa received
her Masters in Education at Columbia University. Prior to Tour de
Forks, Lisa has worked as a freelance copywriter for American Express.
Lisa also writes for children's television. Lisa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member.
Giuseppe Ricotta, who joined Tour de Forks in 2004 to
expand business to Italy, was born in Palermo, Sicily. From the day
he was born, food was central to Giuseppe's life and he grew up
surrounded by fabulous family cooks and eating organic produce.
Before Tour de Forks, Giuseppe received an M.B.A from Fordham University
in New York City and works as a business manager with extensive international
experience.
Connie Walsh, CTC, who joined Tour de Forks in 2008 is a travel industry
veteran with over twenty years of broad based experience that includes tour
operation and sales, and management positions with Avis, Auto Europe and ICTA
(the Institute of Certified Travel Agents) - now the Travel Institute. She has
worked extensively with the travel trade, suppliers and major agency groups.
Connie began with Tour de Forks as a consultant, however her personal passion
for travel - as well as food and wine - combined with recognition that culinary
travel is one of today's hottest trends impelled her to join the team. Her
focus is on business development and strategic alliances - and discovering
the world's great cuisines.
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