2013 Excelencias Awards at FITUR 2014
The 2013 EXCELENCIAS AWARDS were delivered within the framework of 2014 FITUR International Tourism Show, which was attended by ministers, governors, secretaries, authorities, boldface names from the travel sector and the gastronomy world, as well as national and international mass media.
The EXCELENCIAS AWARDS were founded in 2005 in a bid to foster excellence in different fields, all of them related to travel and tourism, mostly focused on the Caribbean region and the Americas. Since then, they have turned out to be a benchmark for those involved in this major industry who conduct they daily job with the purpose of achieving the goal of being excellent.
In 2010, we added the Excelencias Gourmet Awards that pursue the highlight outstanding projects related to gastronomy –an activity deeply linked to tourism. In 2012, we started to grant the Silvia Zorzanello in Memoriam Award as a tribute to the lifetime achievements of Silvia Zorzanello in Brazil, and this year we’ll be adding the Ramon Alvarez in Memoriam Award, to recognize either an institution or personality with major attainments and contributions to the MICE travel industry. Last but not least, we’ll also grant the Excellence Spirit Special Award to extol those projects that spearhead the ideal spirit of a society-friendly tourism.
In 2013, the jury –made up of seven personalities from different countries from the tourism, arts and gastronomy sectors, chaired by the President of the Excelencias Group- has handpicked the winners from a vast and varied selection of nominees from around the world. The votes cast in this poll are secret and cannot be appealed.
The winners of the 2013 edition are:
CUBA
FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF TOURISM BY EXPEDITING THE PROCESSES TO ENTER THE COUNTRY, for the improvements in terms of the waiting time to access the emigration clearance in airports on the Island, especially in Havana.
RECEIVED BY: MARIA DEL CARMEN ORELLANA, MARKETING DIRECTOR OF CUBA’S TOURISM MINISTRY, ON BEHALF OF CUBA’S TOURISM MINISTER MANUEL MARRERO.
SALVADORAN CORPORATION OF TOURISM & EL SALVADOR’S MINISTRY OF TOURISM
FOR PUEBLOS VIVOS PROGRAM, AN INITIATIVE THAT TARGETS THE APPRECIATION OF THE COUNTRY’S IDENTITY AND ITS REGIONS, as well as its natural and cultural heritage that provide sustainability for the development of the tourism activity in the country in short, medium and long term.
RECEIVED BY: SALVADORAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM WALTER ALEMAN, ON BEHALF OF MR. NAPOLEON DUARTE. EL SALVADOR’S MINISTER OF TOURISM
PANAMA’S TOURISM AUTHORITY
FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE QUALITY CERTIFICATION SYSTEM IN THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY TRAVEL COMPANIES, as the beginning of a change in terms of the service provided by tourism companies in the country, by means of the implementation of technical quality norms in the sector, targeting the improvement of tourism services.
RECEIVED BY: ERNESTO ORILLAC, PANAMA’S VICE-MINISTER OF TOURISM, ON BEHALF OF PANAMA’S TOURISM MINISTER SALOMON SHAMA.
JAMAICA TOURISM BOARD
FOR THE WORK DONE IN EMERGING MARKETS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RUSSIAN MARKET.
Jamaica has achieved an increased influx of European travelers, in spite of the economic problems faced by some of those countries, thanks to the negotiation of new flights from Paris, Moscow, Prague and Munich. In 2013, over 2 million visitors stayed on the island.
RECEIVED BY: MARC MEISTER, DIRECTOR OF JAMAICA’S REPRESENTATION OFFICE IN SPAIN
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
FOR THE ACHIEVEMENTS IN INFRAESTRUCTURE AND ITS SUPPORT TO THE GROWTH OF TOURISM IN THE REGION.
RECEIVED BY: SAMANDA FERSOBE, attaché of the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Office in Spain and the Netherlands, and by PETRA CRUZ, chief of the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Office in Germany and the rest of Europe, on behalf of FRANCISCO JAVIER GARCIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC’S MINISTER OF TOURISM.
GUANAJUATO - MEXICO
MISCEGENATION, CULTURE AND TASTE "GUANAJUATO, DOES KNOW". This project reflects the emotion of sharing with the world, by fostering the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Guanajuato with an innovative, accesible and enjoyable style among the visitors that chose this State as their travel destination, so they can enjoy festivals, events, concerts, seminars and congresses, exhibitions and cultural expressions by meeting traditional cookers, craftsmen and local providers.
RECEIVED BY: FERNANDO OLIVERA, TOURISM SECRETARY OF GUANAJUATO
QUERETARO - MEXICO
QUERETARO’S ROUTES A MULTIEXPERIENTIAL “A LA CARTE” DESTINATION. This is a sustainable tourism project developed by taking advantage of tourism resources in Queretaro, such as four World Heritage representatives, four Magic Towns and one Biosphere Reservoir.
The project is based on four theme routes: Estates Route, Cheese and Wine Route, Semi-desert Route and Sierra Gorda Route, which give tourists the opportunity to enjoy the diversity of the destination and its network of quality-certified service providers.
RECEIVED BY: MR. MAURICIO SALMON, QUERETARO’S SECRETARY OF TOURISM
AUTONOMOUS MUNICIPALITY OF MAYAGUEZ PUERTO RICO’S FREE ASSOCIATED STATE
FOR “MAYAGÜEZ, THE OTHER CARIBBEAN” PROJECT AND ITS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES.
Mayagüez, The Other Caribbean, opens its doors to the world with tourism development alternatives based on different components that make up this economic sector; Sport tourism, Health tourism, Cultural tourism, Gastronomic tourism, Educational tourism and Environmental tourism, featuring sustainable economic development. In order to face these new challenges, the transformation of Mayagüez has been visualized within a strategic triangle aimed at strengthening and developing Mayagüez and Porta del Sol Region.
RECEIVED BY: MR. JOSE GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ, MAYOR OF MAYAGÜEZ
AVIANCA
FOR ITS CONSOLIDATION AS THE REGION’S AIR GROUP AND ITS IMPORTANCE AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN EUROPE AND AMERICA, a network of routes, the increase of frequencies in high-demand routes and the strengthening of the operation through hubs in Bogota, Lima and El Salvador, thus increasing in 8.7 percent the average capacity of available seats per flown kilometer (ASK), while the average passenger traffic per flown kilometer (RPK) had a 9.3 percent growth.
RECEIVED BY: JUAN OVIEDO, Europe Marketing Chief
GOWAII
FOR ITS STRATEGIC PLAN OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE LATIN AMERICAN MARKET, what would account for 65 percent of total income.
RECEIVED BY: JAVIER DIAZ, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF GOWAII
IGLTA
FOR ITS TIRELESS WORK TO NORMALIZE THE LGBT TOURISM IN THE WORLD, as it’s the world benchmark in this segment and it was the author, along with OMT / WTOUN, of the first report of the history on the Influence of Gay Tourism in social changes, referent of USA’s State Department for LGBT matters worldwide. They have chosen Spain (Madrid) to hold the 31st Convention this year.
RECEIVED BY: JOHN TANZELLA, PRESIDENT OF IGLTA
TRIPADVISOR
FOR BEING THE LARGEST TRAVEL WEBSITE ON EARTH AND A WORLD BENCHMARK. TripAdvisor gives travelers the opportunity to plan and enjoy the perfect trip, for every budget, by putting together first-hand opinions and a wide assortment of planning, search and reservation services. It’s currently present in 34 countries, in 21 languages, and it employs over 1.900 personas (September 2013), it receives 260 million visits on a monthly basis, it has more than 57 million users and gathers over 100 million opinions from all over the world.
RECEIVED BY: JULIO BRUNO, SALES VICE-PRESIDENT
RENFE-AVE
FOR RENFE’S UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY PLAN. THE MOST MODERN, CUTTING-EDGE AND PARTICIPATIVE PLAN OF EUROPE
Renfe takes accessibility not only as part of its socially responsible behavior, but also as the commitment that the company directly establishes with the society in an effort to improve the services and increase the quality of its transportation service. Renfe’s Universal Accessibility 2020.
RECEIVED BY: FRANCISCO CAÑAMERO PALACIOS, MARKET AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF RENFE VIAJEROS
CHARLES GATT, HONORARY MENTION
EDITOR OF TRAVEL WORLD NEWS; Special recognition for his 50 years of extensive coverage of the Caribbean as a journalist and his special ties with FITUR
2013 EXCELENCIAS GOURMET AWARDS
CORDOBA
THE FIRST IBERIAN-AMERICAN CAPITAL OF GASTRONOMIC CULTURE
Cordoba (capital and province) has been recognized by the Iberian-American Gastronomy Academy as the first Iberian-American capital of gastronomic culture due to the unique and singular identity of Cordovan cuisine, a result of the history, the people and Roman, Jewish, Arabian and Christian cultures, as well as the influence of others from the new world.
RECEIVED BY: D. Antonio Palacios Granero, President of HOSTECOR Association and President of the Management Board of Cordoba’s Tourism Consortium
MADRID’S HIGHER SCHOOL OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM
FOR HAVING TRAINED GENERATIONS OF CHEFS AND ITS WORK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
It’s the first one in Madrid and the second one in Spain. The school was attended by apprentices, assistants and bellboys working in the sector, after they had passed the entrance examination. The money to fund it came out of voluntary contributions made by professionals, until the Provincial Hostel Management Union took office. The professors were prestigious professionals of the industry, who did it for free.
The Higher National School of Hotel Management was inaugurated on March 4, 1959, in that very place. 4 generations of professionals have graduated in this school. Its former students are presently working in companies related to the sector on the five continents, what shows the importance and excellence of our hotel management and tourism training.
RECEIVED BY: ANTONIO MORALES, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL AND CHEF SERGIO FERNANDEZ
IES SCHOOL HOTEL
FOR HAVING TRAINED GENERATIONS OF CHEFS AND ITS WORK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The IES School Hotel is a practical environment for professional training where students count on added values, since they deal with true clients throughout their entire academic and professional training.
As for other facilities, the IES School Hotel features: Hotel open for customers all year round, travel agency open for clients throughout the academic course, Tourism Information office open for clients throughout the academic course, classrooms with Amadeus system and management application (Orbis. Millennium...).
RECEIVED BY: MIGUEL ANGEL PEREZ, DIRECTOR OF IES
MIXOLOGIST OF THE YEAR
JAVIER DE LAS MUELAS
Javier de las Muelas is a trends creators with over 30 years of experience. He is a consultant and strategy adviser for important international companies. Since October 2010, he owns this space in Madrid, the Dry by Javier de las Muelas at the Gran Melia Fenix Madrid, a benchmark place in the capital for cocktail enthusiasts. Javier is also the owner of the famous Dry Martini in Barcelona, restaurants Casa Fernandez and Montesquiu and the Dry San Sebastian.
He has also devoted his efforts to shed light on his techniques and show that there are limitless creative possibilities in the world of cocktails, it’s all about exploring and taking risks, of course, it’s essential to get to know the properties of the ingredients you use, and he puts special emphasis on this matter during his lectures. The jury found many reasons to give Javier this award, since he is a national and international benchmark in terms of cocktails and he surprises us day after day with his creations.
RECEIVED BY: LUIS VAQUERO, PR& NEW BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF DRY MARTINI.
CHEF OF THE YEAR
DAVID MUÑOZ
DIVERXO RESTAURANT
David represented a fresh element in the world of gastronomy in Madrid when it seemed to be impossible. He has amazed everybody with his matchless creativity in Diverxo, his restaurant in Madrid, which stands as the result of the work done and his chef vocation.
His Michelin star this year and the tireless search for excellence have led the jury to give this CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD to DAVID MUÑOZ
RECEIVED BY: DAVID MUÑOZ
“2013 EXCELENCIAS GOURMET PERSON”
CUSTODIO LOPEZ ZAMARRA
FOR A WHOLE LIFE DEVOTED TO THE SOMMELIER WORLD. Talking about Custodio Lopez Zamarra is like telling the history of sommeliers in Madrid and Spain. Custodio gave the first sommelier course in Madrid, he founded the Spanish Sommeliers Association and he’s a guide for everybody. He defines himself as a wine apprentice, an apprentice that teaches us all.
HANDED BY: JAVIER GILA, PRESIDENT SOMMELIERS MADRID
RECEIVED BY: CUSTODIO LOPEZ ZAMARRA
SPECIAL AWARDS
SILVIA ZORZANELLO IN MEMORIAM AWARD
GRAMADO CITY
FOR ITS EFFORTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS TO POSITION ITSELF AS A TOURISM DESTINATION at national and international levels.
HANDED BY: EDUARDO ZORZANELLO
RECEIVED BY: HELENA VOLK, GRAMADO’S SECRETARY OF TOURISM
RAMON ALVAREZ IN MEMORIAM AWARD
LUIS FELIPE NUÑO. GUADAJALARA JALISCO MEXICO
For his brilliant professional career for over 25 years in the world of tourism and his contribution to the development of MICE tourism in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco-Mexico.
HANDED BY: CHARO TRABADO
RECEIVED BY: LUIS FELIPE NUÑO, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF OCV, GUADALAJARA, JALISCO, MEXICO
CND SPECIAL AWARD
MIGUEL FLUXA: PRESIDENT OF IBEROSTAR GROUP
For his successful career in the world of tourism and his tireless work to keep on growing, by taking care of the environmental and social matter by means of Iberostar foundation.
HANDED BY: JOSE CARLOS DE SANTIAGO, PRESIDENT OF EXCELENCIAS GROUP
RECEIVED BY: JOSE ANTONIO GONZALEZ, VICE-PRESIDENT OF IBEROSTAR GROUP
2013 EXCELENCIAS TURISTICAS SPECIAL AWARD
“EXCELENCE SPIRIT AWARD”
NAYARIT
NAYARIT QUALITY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
FOR ACHIEVING THE EXCELENCE SPIRIT OF TOURISM, BY TAKING THE BENEFITS TO THE SOCIETY
This project, headed by the Governor of Nayarit, Roberto Sandoval Castañeda, aims at having tourism fulfilling the main objective of this industry: being beneficial to the whole society, every social stratum, by directly supporting the producers in the region. This goal is being reached with the opening of Nayarit Quality Center to stockpile and distribute fresh products from the countryside and processed products made by the region’s companies, which target the hotel-and-restaurant sector of Riviera Nayarit Tourism Zone, thus developing a supply network for the tourism sector.
HANDED BY: CONSUELO ELIPE, DIRECTOR OF EXCELENCIAS GROUP, MEXICO
RECEIVED BY: MARC MURPHY, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OCV, RIVIERA NAYARIT, ON BEHALF OF NAYARIT STATE GOVERNOR ROBERTO SANDOVAL CASTAÑEDA, AND RAUL RODRIGO PEREZ, TOURISM SECRETARY, NAYARIT
PERSON OF THE YEAR EXCELENCIAS GROUP AWARDS:
NICOLAS MUELA
To Mr. Nicolas Muela Velasco, for his outstanding contribution to spread the gastronomic culture in Latin America, as a source of health, tradition and development, as well as a capital element to strengthen ties between countries and cities.
HANDED BY: JOSE CARLOS DE SANTIAGO, PRESIDENT OF EXCELENCIAS GROUP
RECEIVED BY: NICOLAS MUELA
FURTHER INFORMATION ON:
www.caribbeannewsdigital.com
www.excelenciasgourmet.com
awardsexcelencias@excelencias.com
Excelencias Archives (other events): http://galeria.
