The jury of the Isla de Lanzarote Awards and Distinguished Tourism Awards granted by the Cabildo de Lanzarote through Turismo Lanzarote, made up of representatives of public and private entities that make up the Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society (SPEL), unanimously agreed, in the session of the Board of Directors held during the morning of this Monday, to award the Isla de Lanzarote 2018 award to the municipality of Teguise for its 600 years of history.
In the opinion of the jury, "the municipality is worthy 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 islands already conquered: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro.
In this sense, with the award announced today, "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the contributions that La Villa de Teguise has given us for six centuries, becoming for years a social, cultural and historical reference for Lanzarote."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 evolution of our people has written in that town a large part of its achievements as a society. It is up to us to perpetuate through distinction the legacy of those who preceded us," said the Tourism Councilor of the Cabildo, Ángel Vázquez (PP).
Distinguished Tourism Awards
On the other hand, the jury agreed to award the 2018 Distinguished Tourism Awards to the airline Iberia Express, "which has consolidated itself as one of the air transport companies that has most increased the island's connectivity, through its Madrid hub, with other destinations offering competitive prices and within the reach of tourists who choose Lanzarote as a holiday destination."
Iberia Express 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 feed Iberia's long-haul routes.
It has also been recognized, in the category of Events, cultural or sporting events of tourist interest, the Secret Garden located in the Los Ajaches monument, "which runs through ravines, arid areas and has an important archaeological heritage in which there are caves, engravings, and traces of ancient grazing." The jury has awarded "the beauty of a plantation created almost on the shores of the Atlantic, which captivates thousands of tourists who visit that space."
In the Personalities section, the distinction has gone to the model and actor Jon Kortajarena, who owns a home in Lanzarote. From Turismo Lanzarote they point out that in his posts, through social networks, he disseminates the activity he carries out during his stays, highlighting the benefits of the Island of Volcanoes.
The Bilbao native made his first foray into the world of fashion in September 2003 when a friend asked him to attend a show in Barcelona. There he met who is still his representative today, who convinced him to try his hand in the world of fashion. Jon had his first professional experience as a model in Cibeles and from that moment he began to build one of the most solid careers in men's fashion. He has done advertising campaigns for Just Cavalli, Calvin Klein, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Zara, H&M or Guess. His numerous collaborations with Tom Ford stand out, becoming the muse of the American designer.
Special mentions
The jury also agreed to award a special mention to the Regulatory Council of the Designation of Wines of Lanzarote, the Malpeis brewery and the artist Rufina Santana.
The Tourism Councilor of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Ángel Vázquez, and the Turismo Lanzarote team, congratulate the winners for another year and recall that the Isla de Lanzarote and Distinguished Tourism Awards 2018 will be presented at the end of next September during the institutional act with which the first island institution will celebrate World Tourism Day.
