The Las Cucharas amphitheater hosted the institutional act of recognition of the tourism sector of Costa Teguise and the work carried out by so many professionals who have contributed to the development and growth of the town during its 50 years of life.
Mercedes Hernández Pérez, Fidel Morales Morales, José Ignacio Zarza Stuyck, Juana Rosa García García, José Torres Jiménez and Francisco Martínez García, received a special distinction for their contribution to the hotel, gastronomic, environmental, sports or associative world "over decades pulling the cart of a tourist destination that has been an example of quality tourism." This was stated by Adolfo de la Rúa, as spokesman for the 32 establishments that also received an honorary diploma for their contribution to the modernization of the accommodation plant of Costa Teguise, which today is at the top of the ranking of competitive and highly profitable destinations in the Canary Islands.
“We celebrate this anniversary by recognizing all the agents that have made possible the change in Lanzarote and the opening of new markets, job niches and development opportunities for our people, both for those of us who were born here and for those who came from outside and found their place to develop their personal and professional sphere,” said Oswaldo Betancort during his speech. “Costa Teguise has been, and is, a world of job opportunities, professional development, a cornerstone for the business segment, a model for restaurants, hospitality, leisure and activities programmed by and for tourism, whatever its nationality and range of preferences,” he added, while opening a reflection on “the current model of tourism that we have and what is the one we want to achieve for the coming years, all based on environmental education that is required by our condition as a Biosphere Reserve.”
“We have the landscape, we also have the human factor, now we need to continue undertaking, improve and renew the accommodation network, design new spaces and, above all, believe in what we are and in what we have been, taking momentum to always face the future with hope,” concluded Betancort, congratulating all the members of the tourism sector “with whom I strongly count on to go hand in hand in all future commitments.”
Profile of the honorees
Mercedes Hernández Pérez: Teacher by profession, she arrived in Costa Teguise by chance in 1990. Without complexes and without training in the tourism branch, she accessed the management of the Nazaret Apartments, incorporating Mansión Nazaret into her management in 1996 and in 2010 she took over the reins of the Sol Apartments.
Nicolás García Pérez: Golf teacher, he started in this sport in Madrid at the age of 8. He arrived in Costa Teguise in 1978, three months before the opening of the Costa Teguise Golf Course. From the beginning he performs all the functions within the golf course, such as giving classes to adults and fundamentally working with students at an early age to obtain and train great players. With more than 10 hours of daily work from Monday to Monday, thousands of students took their first shots from the hand of Nicolás, the man who made fashionable and taught many the secrets of this sport in Lanzarote.
Fidel Morales Morales: From Tinajo, he arrived in Costa Teguise in 1986 to join the UCCT as a worker to perform maintenance, conservation and cleaning of the urbanization, he was promoted to manager 30 years ago, tasks that he continues to perform for URBASER. Unconditional worker and reference for all the residents of Costa Teguise when they have a problem.
José Ignacio Zarza Stuyck: He arrived in Costa Teguise from his native Bilbao in 1985. He fell in love with the climate, the quality of life and the possibilities offered by the area for sports. A great defender since then of the residential area and the quality of tourism. He has been part of the UCCT until today with great devotion to the maintenance and conservation of the urbanization. Within the world of tourism in Costa Teguise, he developed several hotel projects (La Galea and Olita), in addition to being involved in major sporting events, being a pioneer in 1989 with the world windsurfing championship. He currently runs a hiking company linked to the volcanoes.
Juana Rosa García García: Together with her mother, her aunt and cousin she started at the Hotel Meliá Salinas with only 15 years old (1978) as a chambermaid. Tireless worker who has been rewarded in 2000 with the promotion to sub-governor of the hotel until today.
José Torres Jiménez: Born in Bailén (Jaén). He arrived in Costa Teguise around 82, to open the first restaurant in Costa Teguise, La Chimenea, located in the C.C Las Cucharas. He has extensive experience in the restaurant sector as a chef, working in different parts of the peninsula and in the islands.
Francisco Martínez García: Vice President for the Northern Zone and spokesman for the Association of Businessmen of Hotels and Apartments of Lanzarote (Asolan). He is also known for being the visible face for many years of the Los Zocos Complex in Costa Teguise. He has extensive business experience especially linked to the tourism sector, and is committed to consolidating the organizations he leads as dynamizing entities that represent businessmen and contribute to the development of the island and its conditions of social and economic well-being.
Throughout his long career in the tourism sector, Martínez has been able to treasure some stories that help to know a little more about his profile.
For many years, he was the guardian of the keys of the ‘Mareta’, the house originally of Hussein of Jordan, which passed to the National Heritage as a gift to the then King of Spain Juan Carlos I, who could not accept this type of gifts. As he revealed in the radio program Bungalow 103, he was “in charge of maintenance, cleaning, food, drink and, sometimes, entertaining the distinguished public.” Among the illustrious visitors with whom he dealt are Felipe González, Mijaíl Gorbachov (with whom he often walked for hours), Vaclav Havel (former president of the Czech Republic), the royal family itself and Helmut Kohl.
And it is fair with the former German president with whom he treasures the most curious anecdote: “We were announced the visit for dinner of Helmut and Felipe González. We were waiting for them at 10 pm and someone from the organization asked us to contact the electricity company to put a double security in case the light went out. When they were inside the house, Mr. Kohl asked me for the bathroom, I went to indicate where it was and all the lights in the area went out at that moment. I had no choice but to go to a lighter I had in my pocket so we could see and get him to do his needs, because you could not see anything at all. It was very nice, he laughed and I also laughed at the scene.”
"The celebration of the Golden Wedding of Costa Teguise started last October 2022 and, since then, the City Council of Teguise, with Oswaldo Betancort as mayor president of the Corporation, has organized several recognitions to entities and institutions involved in the evolution of a tourist and residential destination of great relevance in Lanzarote and the Canary Islands such as Costa Teguise", conclude from the Consistory.