Photos: Sergio Betancort
The Cabildo of Lanzarote presented this Friday the Isla de Lanzarote and Distinguished Tourism Awards 2018 during the Institutional Act of World Tourism Day, which was held in the Auditorium of Jameos del Agua. A gala night that brought together a large audience and with which the first Island Corporation recognized the work carried out by personalities and public and private entities in favor of the sector.
After congratulating the winners, the president of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés (CC), alluded in his speech to the figure and work "of the genius César Manrique" who "helped us to articulate an authentic and credible story to the world" in the process of transforming Lanzarote as a tourist island, and whose "influence beyond our borders encourages us to project a philosophy of sustainability endorsed by the declaration of the Biosphere Reserve, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary".
"The symbiosis achieved in Lanzarote between man and nature -he continued- has allowed us to have a territory fully integrated into the tourist circuit, respecting its environmental singularities and its cultural idiosyncrasy." In this context, San Ginés considered that the commemoration in 2019 of the centenary of the birth of the universal artist from Lanzarote "is an opportunity for us, based on his innovative dialogue, to be able as a society to protect his legacy and demonstrate our audacity to reinvent ourselves for a happier future, which is what it should always be about".
For his part, the Councilor for Tourism Promotion of the first Island Corporation, Ángel Vázquez (PP), pointed out that "the work of SPEL, made up of committed and cooperative partners, is being fundamental" and highlighted "the public-private management model" adopted by the Entity, "which currently has more than 70 sponsoring partners, and whose results, based on the consensus of the tourism strategy with the sector, reveal the strength of a formula that we only share with Tenerife and are the best guarantee that shows the success of its operation".
The award winners
Isla de Lanzarote Award 2018
The president of the first Island Corporation, Pedro San Ginés, was in charge of presenting, to councilors Antonio Callero and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, the Isla de Lanzarote 2018 award granted to the municipality of "Teguise for its 600 years of history".
According to the jury's decision -made up of representatives of public and private entities related to the tourism sector and issued in a session of the Board of Directors of SPEL- the municipality, which in 2018 celebrates the establishment of the Fuero de Niebla and the birth of the current Villa de San Miguel Arcángel de Teguise, "is deserving of the highest distinction and the greatest public recognition due to the promotion work carried out by the City Council to publicize the great cultural heritage that entails the first medieval city of the Atlantic and the first capital of the already conquered islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro". In this way, "the entire island recognizes the contributions that La Villa de Teguise has given us for six centuries, becoming for years a social, cultural and historical reference for Lanzarote". The mayor of Teguise, Oswaldo Betancort, who could not be present at the event because he was away from the island, thanked for the award in an emotional video broadcast to those present.
Distinguished Tourism Awards
Likewise, one of the main protagonists of the night was the famous actor and international model Jon Kortajarena, who received from the hands of the president of the first Island Corporation the Distinguished Tourism Award, in the Personality section. The model from Bilbao, who took the floor to thank on behalf of all the winners for the distinctions received, owns a home in Lanzarote and disseminates in his posts, through social networks, the activity he carries out during his stays, highlighting the benefits of the Island of Volcanoes. Kortajarena has nearly two million followers and has become one of the greatest exponents of fashion since he made his first foray into this world in September 2003 when a friend asked him to attend a show in Barcelona. The well-known model and actor, who with his images does not hesitate to show the outside world what captivates him about the Island, has carried out advertising campaigns for Just Cavalli, Calvin Klein, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Zara, H&M or Guess, and his numerous collaborations with Tom Ford stand out, becoming the muse of the American designer.
For his part, the Councilor for Tourism Promotion, Ángel Vázquez, was in charge of presenting the Distinguished Tourism Award, Company category, to the CEO of Iberia Express, Fernando Candela. The distinction rewards this Spanish airline "that has consolidated itself as one of the air transport companies that has most increased the connectivity of the Island, through its hub of Madrid, with other destinations offering competitive prices and within the reach of tourists who choose Lanzarote as a holiday destination". Iberia Express, which is "a close partner or commercial ally of Turismo Lanzarote with whom they annually sign promotional agreements", emerged as a project to operate short and medium-haul routes in the Spanish and European market from the Iberia connection center at the Madrid-Barajas airport, as well as to supply Iberia's long-haul routes.
The Distinguished Tourism Award, in the Cultural Event of Tourist Interest category, was also received by El Jardín Secreto, which was collected by José Mamerto Cabrera, son of Juan María Cabrera, creator of this initiative. Located in the Los Ajaches monument, the jury has awarded the beauty of this plantation created almost on the shores of the Atlantic that captivates thousands of tourists who travel through that space, which runs through ravines and arid areas and has an important archaeological heritage in which there are caves, engravings, and traces of ancient grazing.
Special Mentions
Likewise, the three Special Mentions awarded this year went to the Regulatory Council of the Designation of Origin Vinos de Lanzarote, the Cervecera Malpeis and the artist Rufina Santana. The awards were received by the president of the aforementioned Regulatory Council, Rafael Morales, the representatives of the Brewery, Orlando Niz and Tania Delgado, and the artist from Lanzarote herself.
The event, organized by Turismo Lanzarote, was hosted by the presenter from Lanzarote, Yara de León, together with the presenters Paco Luis Quintana and Pilar Rumeu, running in a dynamic way and interspersing the broadcast of promotional videos of the Island with musical backgrounds and performances by the soul band Cavendish and the singer Moneiba Hidalgo.
The award received by the winners consisted of a piece designed by hand in bronze and volcanic stone, made exclusively for Turismo Lanzarote by the sculptor from Lanzarote based in Tenerife, Evelina Martín. The piece represents different aspects of the Lanzarote landscape, the sands, the volcanic stone and the flora, all wrapped in a shape that schematically represents a volcanic cone that resembles the protection of the socos of La Geria.
The Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society (SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote) plans to soon announce a competition of ideas in order that, from next year, the Isla de Lanzarote and Distinguished Tourism Awards have an official award of unique design that will be delivered in each edition to the winners.
The event was attended by numerous public authorities, personalities and representatives of the main business associations of the island and the island's tourism sector. After the event, the protagonists and attendees were able to enjoy a cocktail in the Jameos del Agua pool.