Excelencias Prize Awarded to Several Cuban Institutions

The Excelencias Prize was awarded to the Civil Defense, the National League of Writers and Artists (UNEAC) and the Ministry of Culture, by Jose Carlos de Santiago, president and editor-in-chief of the Excelencias Group, a famous international promoter of Latin America and the Caribbean’s natural, heritage, cultural and touristic values through different world-class printed and digital publications.

Urging to follow the example represented by these institutions, celebrating the results obtained in 2010 and wishing a successful New Year, Mr. Jose Carlos de Santiago handed over the recognition, which he considered “an expression of respect and a gesture of gratitude for the work carried out by these Cuban institutions in their respective spheres”.

On awarding the Excelencias prize, the jury in charge of assessing different candidates, said the selection of the Civil Defense had been backed up by the positive outcomes of its work for risk prevention and the security provided to tourists on the island’s destinations and hotels when facing natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms in which the experienced and timely intervention of this institution has been indispensable.

As far as UNEAC and the Ministry of Culture are concerned, the prize was awarded due to their efforts in a bid to promote the nation’s artistic and cultural development, maintain its heritage values, label them and work along with the Ministry of Tourism, in an effort to provide a different image of Cuba for outbound markets, beyond the clichéd image of sun-and-beach Caribbean paradise, which still prevails when it comes to promoting travel and tourism in the region.

The event, held at the International Press Center of Havana, came to a close with a visit to Matanzas, where Cubanacan Hotel Group presented its new Velasco hotel, a member of
Encanto line, which is housed in a classic building with the peculiar attraction of combining a traditional atmosphere with the best comfort of modern life.

Excelencias Prizes have been awarded since 2005 and in its latest edition they were received by Aruba’s Ministry and Authority of Tourism “for being the safest island in the Caribbean”; Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism “due to the correct tourism-oriented usage of heritage resources to spread the knowledge of Cuban culture in the world”; the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Department “for the implementation of the beach recovery plan”; Havana’s Office of the Historian “due to the conservation and recuperation of heritage at the Historical Core of Old Havana”; Oasis Hoteles of Globalia Group “for the rock-solid growth in the Caribbean area”; the Mexican state of Jalisco “for the correct touristic use of its architectural heritage”; and the Spanish advertising agency Made in Spain “for the promotion campaign conducted by the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Department”.