The work carried out until last year by UN Tourism —coinciding with the last year of Zurab Pololikashvili as secretary general of the organization— and its contribution to strengthening the tourism sector at the international level, was recognized in the first edition of the Ibero-American Tourism Dynamizers Awards, which were awarded during the celebration of the III Ibero-American Tourism Forum, in early June in San Pedro Sula (Honduras).
Also awarded was the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, for hosting the first edition of the Ibero-American Tourism Forum and contributing to launching this regional collaboration initiative; Procolombia and its president, Carmen Caballero, for their support of the development and promotion of Ibero-American tourism, and for hosting the second edition of the Forum, which took place in Santa Marta; CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, for its support of development and tourism competitiveness initiatives throughout the region; and the Honduran Institute of Tourism, for its role in organizing and hosting the third edition of the Forum.
In addition, a special recognition was granted to the president of Honduras, Nasry Asfura, for his commitment to strengthening tourism as a driver of economic and social development, as well as for the support provided for the celebration of the Forum in San Pedro Sula.
With the creation of the Ibero-American Tourism Dynamizers Awards, the Forum incorporated a new space aimed at recognizing and making visible those who drive the transformation of tourism in the region, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, cooperation, and building a joint agenda for the future of the sector.
These recognitions constituted one of the main novelties of this third edition of the event, which has already consolidated itself as one of the main spaces for public-private dialogue and action in the tourism industry of Ibero-America.
“The awards are a clear reflection that the progress of tourism does not solely depend on investments or infrastructure,” CEIB assures in a statement sent to DiplomacyNews, “but also on the ability of people and organizations to drive ideas, generate alliances, and turn projects into realities capable of transforming territories.”
The awards will include different categories aimed at highlighting good practices and reference projects in areas such as tourism governance, business competitiveness, sustainability, employability, digital transformation, young talent, and public-private collaboration.
With these recognitions, the organization has laid the groundwork so that, starting from future editions, these awards incorporate an open category system for nominations from throughout the region.
The event featured the participation of Mireya Agüero, chancellor of the Republic of Honduras; Andrés Ehrler, secretary of Tourism of the Government of Honduras; Narciso Casado, permanent secretary of CEIB; Anabel Gallardo, president of COHEP; Matías Fernández Ilarde, president of FIJE; and Guillermo Escribano Manzano, ambassador of Spain in Honduras.