II SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARDS: honoring the sustainable destinations of the year

The magazine VIAJAR held a gathering on Thursday, December 15, to honor the efforts of initiatives, destinations, and public or private accommodations in the sector that, in response to the climate emergency, have highlighted economic, social, and environmental needs. The awards were celebrated at the Rosewood Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid, positioning Prensa Ibérica as the first publishing group in Spain committed to responsible and sustainable tourism.

Aitor Moll, CEO of Prensa Ibérica, officially opened the event, emphasizing that the aim of the awards is "to give visibility to companies and institutions" that contribute projects and actions in the field of sustainability aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals established in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, with 2030 as the target date. "Traveling is living, observing, learning, opening the mind, and being surprised," asserted Aitor Moll, who also encouraged everyone to "always maintain the excitement" for their upcoming trips.

Next, Josep María Palau Riberaygua, director of the magazine VIAJAR, highlighted the evolution of the publication to adapt "to the tastes and concerns of its readers" in order to turn the magazine "into a true universe where information, inspiration, and a traveling community converge." Palau also pointed out that "the magazine must leverage its ability to prescribe as the leading travel magazine in Spain, in addition to being the most-read online publication in the country, to raise awareness." "These are the first awards we give for sustainable and responsible tourism, two words very much in vogue, but which have long been part of the magazine's DNA," he added.

The event, hosted by presenter Silvia Tomás, director of Levante TV and Director of Institutional Relations at Prensa Ibérica, was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports of the Junta de Andalucía, as well as by the Canary Islands, Volcano Teide, and Baleària. Furthermore, VIAJAR took a step further by organizing a positive carbon event, where emissions were neutralized by compensating more than what was emitted thanks to the collaboration with the company CO2 Revolution.

The awards featured 12 categories in which a total of 21 winners were recognized, chosen by a jury composed of industry experts such as Mariano López, former director of Viajar; Álvaro Planchuelo, president of the Spanish Association of Active Ecotourism; Carmen Sánchez-Miranda, director of the UN Habitat Office in Spain; Nuria El Khadir, CEO of the Biodiversity Conservation Foundation; Ana Larrañaga, president of the Board of Affiliate Members of the World Tourism Organization; and Jesús Hernández Galán, director of Universal Accessibility and Innovation at Fundación Once.

Cáceres

Sandra Moreno, Press Chief of the Cáceres City Council, received the distinguished award delivered by Aitor Moll, CEO of Prensa Ibérica.

Honorary Mention to León (Castilla y León). The award was presented by Juan Pedro Díaz, General Commercial Director of Prensa Ibérica, and was received by José Antonio Diez Díaz, Mayor of León.

Sea of Olives, Jaén

The award was received by Francisco Reyes, president of the Jaén Provincial Council.

Honorary Mention to Entreparques, Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha). The award was presented by Pablo Fernández, deputy director of the magazine VIAJAR, and was received by Luis Alberto Lara Contreras, president of Entreparques.

Formentera, Balearic Islands

The award was presented by Pilar Boix, director of Communication at Baleària, and was received by Carlos Bernús Blanch, Tourism Promotion Manager of the Formentera Island Council.

Honorary Mention to Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Almería (Andalusia). The award was presented by Pilar Boix, director of Communication at Balearia, and was received by Sergio Arjona, Deputy Counselor for Sustainability, Environment, and Blue Economy of the Junta de Andalucía.

Morocco, a country where ecology is starting to play a significant role, promoting committed tourism through the development of various initiatives aimed at consolidating eco-responsible tourism.

Smart Tourist Destination Models (DTI) from Segittur

The award was presented by Alberto Ortiz de Saracho, General Manager of the Public Company for the Management of Tourism and Sports in Andalucía, who presented his award to Nuria Muñoz Pozo, Communication and Media Manager at Segittur.

Honorary Mention to the Santa María la Real Foundation. The award was received by Paula Conte García, director of tourism, culture, and heritage at the Santa María la Real Foundation.

Accessible French Way of Santiago Project, Fundación ONCE

Mercè Luz Arqué, head of the Culture and Leisure Area of Fundación ONCE, received the award.

Honorary Mention to Cielos de Ascara, Huesca (Aragón). The award was received by Antonio Rodríguez Cosme, president of ATADES.

Hotel Ilunion Alcora Sevilla

The award was presented to Ana Labandón, deputy director of Hotel Ilunion Alcora Sevilla, delivered by Miguel Ángel Fernández, assistant to the commercial general management of PI360.

Honorary Mention to Barceló Torre de Madrid and Riu Plaza de España (Madrid). The award was presented by Miguel Ángel Fernández, assistant to the commercial general management of PI360. The award was collected by Javier Florez Alzueta, Director of Accommodation at Hotel Riu Plaza de España, and Salvador Aparisi, director of Hotel Barceló Torre de Madrid.

Parador de Cangas de Onís

With the presence of the director of Parador de Cangas de Onís, José Ignacio Bosch, the award was collected by Pedro Saura, president of Paradores.

Honorary Mention to Casa Rural El Encinarejo, Sierra de Andújar (Andalusia). The award was presented by Juan Pedro Díaz Armendáriz, general commercial director of PI 360, and was presented to Alexander Hohne, director of Casa Rural El Encinarejo.

Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora

The award was received by Fátima Alcántara, assistant to the Vice President of Operations in Spain and Latam at Meliá Hotels International.

Honorary Mention to Ecohotel Serawa Moraira, Alicante (Valencian Community). The award was received by Paloma Navarro Casanova.

El Hierro

The award was received by Montserrat Gutiérrez Padrón, Environmental Minister of the Insular Council of El Hierro, handed over by Araceli Ocaña, director of revistaviajar.es.

Caminos de Santiago

The award was presented by Óscar Voltas, General Director of Magazines of Grupo Zeta and Prensa Ibérica to Juan Serrano, Director of the Casa de Galicia in Madrid.

Costa Rica

The award was presented by Josep María Palau, director of the magazine VIAJAR, to Alejandro Pérez-Ferrant, CEO and Founding Partner of The Blueroom Project.

Mariano López, director of VIAJAR from 1996 to 2022

The magazine VIAJAR wanted to take this special occasion to pay tribute to Mariano López, director of VIAJAR from 1996 until 2022, for his extensive career at the helm of this publication.

One of the most recognized professionals in the sector, holding the Medal of Tourist Merit (2010), the honor of Journalist of the Year, awarded by magazine publishers of ARI, Association of Independent Magazines; or the recent Tourism Award from the Czech Republic, to name a few. The award was presented by Aitor Moll, CEO of Prensa Ibérica.

VIAJAR, the first Spanish travel magazine, is a reference publication in the industry that will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2023. A specialized magazine that has embarked on a new phase with the incorporation of Josep María Palau as the new director and with the renewal of its print magazine format, transitioning to a larger publication with more pages, articles, and new sections.

An innovative bet translates into 261,000 monthly readers in its print version and 1.4 million unique users per month on its website, making it the most-read online travel magazine in Spain, which also has two million followers on social media (Source: Comscore Multiplatform October 2022 / Social Media October 2022 / EGM 3rd 2022).

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