The jury of the Canary Islands Tourism Awards, which are awarded annually by the Government of the Canary Islands, met this Friday telematically to recognize entities, companies, and professionals who have played a prominent role in the tourism sector.
In this edition, the professional jury, chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, recognized among the more than fifty nominations submitted, Bodegas El Grifo with the Tourism Excellence Award; the State Security Forces with the Tourism Trajectory Award; GF Hoteles with the Tourism Award for Sustainable Employment; the Circular Tourism Communities project with the Tourism Innovation Award, whose results have also recognized the City Council of Adeje, in Tenerife, for the efficient use of resources; and the Hotel Taimar with the Award for Accessibility and Inclusivity.
De León was in charge of congratulating each of the winners. Her vote was not necessary since the awards were mostly granted unanimously. “These awards recognize the effort and commitment of all those who are part of the tourism sector in the Canary Islands”, she assured. The awards will be presented on September 25 at an official ceremony to be held at the Teatro Circo de Marte, in La Palma.
Bodegas El Grifo, Tourism Award for Tourism Excellence
The jury has unanimously recognized the work and trajectory of Bodegas el Grifo for its 250 years of work in the field of viticulture in Lanzarote and the Canary Islands.
A pioneer in wine bottling since 1935, stainless steel tanks were introduced from the 1980s. Currently, Bodegas El Grifo combines tradition, ecological agriculture and innovation to protect its fragile and valuable environment. In addition, they are capable of recovering CO2, generating 60% of their energy with solar panels and practicing regenerative viticulture.
State Security Forces, Tourism Award for Tourism Trajectory
The recognition of the tourist trajectory has been awarded this year to the State Security Forces, responsible for ensuring citizen security and public order. The jury wanted to highlight the sustained, effective and committed work of these professionals in the main tourist centers of the islands. In addition, they agreed that security is a strategic and transversal value for tourism activity, both for residents and visitors, an aspect that defines the Canary tourist destination.
GF Hoteles, Tourism Award for Sustainable Employment
The hotel chain GF Hoteles, a Tenerife company with one hundred percent Canarian capital, has more than 900 employees and 3,100 hotel places distributed in five establishments.
The company has developed a human resources policy focused on the well-being of its employees. In addition, with continuous training programs, internal promotion and affective communication, GF Hoteles fosters a healthy and motivating work environment and promotes work-life balance among its employees with flexible hours, camps for the workers' children and legal advice for labor and personal issues. It has also been recognized for talent management, training in emotional skills, internal communication and emotional salary.
Circular Tourism Communities Project, Tourism Innovation Award
The tourism innovation award has gone to the Circular Tourism Communities project of the Hotel and Extra-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (Ashotel) and the Association of Farmers and Ranchers of the Canary Islands and Association of Young Farmers (ASAGA Canarias ASAJA), for its organic waste management model to convert it into useful compost for agriculture and other uses, closing the cycle of resources and promoting sustainability.
Its implementation three years ago has made it possible to recover more than two thousand tons of organic matter so far, which have been transformed into six hundred tons of high-quality compost, which has been used to fertilize more than eighty hectares of zero-kilometer crops. The project is currently in an expansion phase with a view to being replicated in other municipalities of the Canary Islands and abroad, exporting knowledge.
Adeje City Council, Tourism Award for Tourist Destination
The tourist municipality of Adeje, in the south of Tenerife, has become a benchmark for waste management and circular economy. The City Council has opted for the Circular Tourism Communities project, an initiative that has made it possible to transform more than two thousand tons of plant remains into organic fertilizer, betting on the efficient use of resources, the minimization of waste and also the promotion and implementation of renewable energies.
Hotel Taimar, Tourism Award for Accessibility and Inclusivity
The Hotel Taimar in Costa Calma, in Fuerteventura, has also become a benchmark in accessibility and inclusive tourism. To this end, in addition to eliminating or avoiding any architectural barrier, this establishment incorporates the necessary elements for all types of special needs, such as the magnetic induction loop in the reception, which facilitates communication with deaf people; ramps; walkways; elevators with voice and braille; pavements to guide blind people; alarm clocks for people with hearing disabilities by vibration and light bells.
In addition, it has twenty-two adapted rooms, which represents 22% of the total, there being no other establishment with this ratio in the Canary Islands and, among other recognitions, it has been distinguished by the United Nations as an inclusive and barrier-free hotel.