“The day of the Tourinews Awards is the day of the people who work in the tourism sector, no matter when it is celebrated, that is the day.” This is how CEO Ignacio Moll opened the Forum and awards ceremony, which was held this Thursday at the Santa Catalina Royal Hideaway Hotel in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
During the morning presentation, which took place before the media, the deputy mayor and Councilor for Tourism of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, Pedro Quevedo, positively valued the celebration of the Tourinews Forum “because it provides experiences and success stories that help to reconcile the experience of the visitor with the daily life of the residents and promote the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the destinations”.
In the same event, the Minister of Tourism of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, highlighted the importance of having forums, galas, events and media “so that the sector grows and builds the destination we want” and added “that critical thinking, the debate of ideas and the sharing of trends and advances allow us to face difficulties from knowledge”.
The Forum and Awards were attended by "personalities from the tourism sector from all over the archipelago, with a large and prominent presence of national and international companies and operators." The event was attended by representatives of the main institutional figures, including the Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica de León, who was in charge of the official opening. During her speech, de León highlighted the importance of a sector that is the social engine of the Canary Islands and that “must have residents at its center, who are the ones who take care of that client”.
The TikTok tourist
The professional forum, made up of four panels, addressed the future of tourism from different perspectives: that of several young people who shared their way of searching for destinations and organizing their trips, compared to the second panel entitled The Crystal Ball: What will the tourist be like in 2035?. Composed of "some of the 'heavyweights' of tourism, at the head of large business groups: Ingo Burmester (Dertour), Marcel de Nooijer (Transavia), Kike Sarasola (Room Mate Hotels) and Fernando Ramiro (Expedia), with Arjan Kers (TUI) as moderator, tried to approach the scenario of tourism of the future, taking as a basis the testimonies of the previous table." There was talk of sustainability, the carbon footprint, the need to set limits or quotas, as is already happening in some destinations, and that "it is imperative to unite the sector and address the challenges in a multilateral way. Work together residents, politicians and industry for a sustainable model, not only in CO2, but also one that enables a life with quality”, concluded Sarasola.
The forum included another panel, Sustainability: the daily revolution by Victoria López, president of the Fedola Group, who presented her experience based on an integrated sustainability project, which goes from top to bottom. Her commitment has allowed her to transform 1800 tons of waste, from 27 hotels, into 630 tons of compost for the gardens in the south of Tenerife. It is just one example of an ambitious project that has been developing for years and that also contemplates social, economic and environmental sustainability. “A strategy that puts people at the center”, explained López. The most interesting thing about this success story has been the savings that have been achieved in energy, water, chemicals and even in purchases.”
The table in charge of Jorge Marichal “reflection on uncomfortable truths” was the one that closed this first part of the afternoon. The president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Apartments (CEHAT) answered some of the questions that the members of the Tourinews Editorial Board, Eduardo Zamorano (Dertour), and Pedro Lara (Jet2), raised about some of the most conflicting aspects facing the sector, such as the regulations on vacation homes or investment funds. The president of CEHAT suggested “that regulations be created to control vacation rentals and that responsibilities be demanded, as it creates unfair competition", he said.
Illustrious of Tourism
The most anticipated part of the night was preceded by the presentation of the medal of the Illustrious of Tourism, designed by the artist Pepe Dámaso, present at the gala. In a very emotional act, Dámaso explained his work and was visibly moved. These distinctions have the purpose of recognizing the work of people who have dedicated their lives to tourism. The Illustrious of Tourism were: Carmelina Rodríguez, Álvaro Middlemann, Pablo Batle Mercadé, Carmen Gloria Cabrera, Manuel Gruñeiro, Eva Burnhuber and Francisco Santana Tejera.
Awards ceremony
Seven recognitions were given to the following people and projects. The Innovation award went to the Riojan robotics company Umibots Mobile Robotics. The award was collected by its CEO and founder Clodoaldo González Fernández.
The Business Excellence award recognized the work of Lenka Vikova, president and founder of the tourism group originally from the Czech Republic, Canaria Travel, who accepted the award visibly moved.
Another emotional moment of the night was the recognition of the German Theo Gerlach, who received the Legend award. The owner of the hotel group Seaside Collection, expressed his gratitude for this distinction.
The Tourist Destination award went to the Community of Madrid, for its campaign Keep the best lifestyle in the world. The award was collected by Luis Fernando Martín Izquierdo, Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Community of Madrid.
The Mexican Mauricio Miramontes received the Social Commitment award for the 'La mano del mono' project, which promotes the integration of indigenous communities and the care of the environment through tourism projects.
A plus for Tourism award for the TVE program Tapas around Spain. The executive producer and coordinator of the RTVE Dissemination and Culture Area, Amaya Plaza Mata, and the presenter, Adrienne Chaballe, collected the recognition.
The editor's special award went to Antonio Catalán, president of AC Hotels by Marriott, who received his award from the editor of Tourinews, Ignacio Moll.
The awards are sponsored by Turismo de Islas Canarias, Turismo de Gran Canaria and Turismo de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as well as the companies RIU Hotels & Resorts, Grupo Veolia, LIVVO Hotel Group, Canaraguay Viajes Insular. In addition, R2 Hotels, HD Hotels, Santa Catalina a Royal Hideaway Hotel, the Martín Chirino Art and Thought Foundation, the University Foundation of Lanzarote, the MyTJob portal, the Soleando portal, the digital marketing agency Sanchesky and the production company Las Hormigas Negras collaborate with this event.
