Lanzarote Tourism ALL DRESSED UP

Lanzarote Tourism ALL DRESSED UP

by Norman Warwick

Our home town of Playa Blanca recently successfully hosted the Lanzarote Tourism Awards ceremony for 2024.

It was a slickly presented event, which as all events seem to do on Lanzarote, paid tribute to the arts and our artists. I love to see this nod in that direction as it is a recognition that despite its wonderful coastline of golden beaches and blue seas, and its volcanoes and vineyartds and bodegos, wonderful restuarants and wonderful hotels of all grades, our artists and the staues and music they make are very much part of the tourist offer.

The Castillo de Las Coloradas in Playa Blanca was the setting this Monday for the gala of the Lanzarote Island Awards and Distinguished Tourism Awards 2024, an event organised by the Cabildo de Lanzarote, through SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, which began with the screening of the video “Lanzarote, a treasure of lava and sea” and the musical performance of the Lanzarote singer Almudena Hernández, accompanied by the musicians Adrián Niz and José Vicente Pérez.

The new edition of the most important tourism awards on the island was attended by the Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jéssica de León, who stressed in her speech that “this event not only recognises the winners, but also all the people who work every day in the tourism sector, professionals who make it possible for tourism to be the industry that contributes most to the generation of wealth and employment in our land”. In addition, De León emphasised that “many Canarian families have built their life project thanks to the opportunities offered by tourism” and highlighted that “for the Government of the Canary Islands it is a priority at this time to integrate social sustainability with economic and environmental sustainability, placing the resident at the centre”.

The councillor and the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, were in charge of presenting the first awards in the category of Special Mentions to: Jonathan Harrouch and Jorge Santana, directors of Hotel Lani’s Suites de Luxe; Miguel Ángel Bermúdez and Isidro Callero, as president and founder, respectively, of the Guanapay Folklore Association; and Pedro Santana Lemes.

The two leaders then presented the 2024 Distinguished Tourism Awards, in the category of events, cultural or sporting events of tourist interest, to the Batucada Villa Pipol, with Iván Carmona as musical director, Francisco Javier Oubiña (president), and José Antonio Lora (former president) collecting the award.

In the category of tourism companies, José Calero proudly received the award in recognition of his company Calero Marinas, followed by the emotional posthumous award to Liliana Stamatovic, collected by the daughter of the honoree, Lena Stamatovic.

Finally, Oswaldo Betancort and Jéssica de León presented Rodolfo Núñez Ruano, president of Binter, with the Lanzarote Island Award. After his words of thanks, the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, and also the councillor for Tourism Lanzarote, began his speech by thanking the Yaiza Town Hall for its collaboration “to make this event possible in a setting full of history that welcomes us today to celebrate the effort and excellence of those who have contributed to the development and success of our tourist destination in the Lanzarote Island Awards and Distinguished Tourism Awards 2024”.

“Today is a day of celebration, in which we recognise those who, with dedication and professionalism, have consolidated Lanzarote as one of the most recognised tourist destinations worldwide. But it is also a time to reflect on the challenges we face and how, from our institutions and the private sector, we are building a sustainable and competitive future for our island,” said Oswaldo Betancort. (right)

 “In 2023, Lanzarote has established itself, together with Tenerife, as the most profitable island among Spanish tourist destinations. This fact is not a coincidence, but the result of coordinated work between the public and private sectors, betting on the quality and sustainability of our tourism model,” he added, celebrating the increase in spending on the island through the diversification and improvement of the offer with a 13% increase in tourist spending in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

“These numbers are not just statistics; behind every job there are people, and our goal is for every worker in the sector to feel proud of being part of this economic engine that is so essential for our community. It is their effort and dedication that make it possible for tourism to continue to be a source of prosperity for the island.”

During his speech, Betancort said that “this recovery demonstrates the strength of our sector and its ability to continue growing. Tourism has become one of the sectors with the lowest temporary employment, a significant advance that we want to continue consolidating.”

Before concluding, the island president recalled that “Lanzarote is a unique island, and we want those who visit us to share and respect the values ​​that make our island such a special place, and that is why we want a type of tourist who is responsible, ethical and in tune with the natural environment and the Lanzarote landscape.”

In this same direction, a few days ago, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, through the Society for the External Promotion of Lanzarote, with the participation of the areas of the Biosphere Reserve, Geopark, Environment, Landscape, Food Sovereignty and Territorial Policy, and the collaboration of the Art, Culture and Tourism Centres of Lanzarote (CACT), unveiled the new strategy focused on promoting behaviours of appreciation, respect and protection of the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa. An initiative that seeks to raise awareness among visitors about the commitment to preserve this unique, fragile environment with a rich biodiversity.

“Furthermore, Lanzarote is opening up new horizons and an example of this is the work we are doing in the United States, where we are identifying strategic partners to position the Lanzarote brand in high-value segments,” added Betancort.

In short, “Lanzarote continues to move forward with a firm step, always with an eye on the future. With the joint effort of the public and private sectors, we are ready to face the challenges that await us, consolidating our island as a benchmark for sustainable and quality tourism,” he concluded.

The event ended with a musical performance by Germán López, accompanied by maestro Augusto Báez on the piano, and the traditional family photo in an atmosphere that celebrated both the past and the promising future of tourism in Lanzarote.

The award for this edition of the Lanzarote Island Awards and Distinguished Tourism Awards 2024 was designed by the sculptor Cintia Machín Morín, who was inspired by the unique landscapes of Lanzarote, especially the holes of La Geria, reflecting the geographical essence and the quality of the island’s products. The colours of the award symbolise the most representative elements of Lanzarote: the sea, the volcanoes, the flora and the beaches.