The Excelencias Group celebrates 20 years of recognizing outstanding projects in tourism, gastronomy, and culture across Ibero-America. This year’s Excelencias Awards ceremony took place during FITUR 2025.
Overview
- Participating Countries: 22
- Nominations Received: Over 2,930
- Finalists: Selected by a jury of seven experts in art, culture, gastronomy, and tourism.
- Public Votes: Introduced for the second year, gathering nearly 60,000 verified votes within 11 days.
José Carlos de Santiago, Chairman of the Excelencias Group, presented the awards, highlighting the event's success with over 250 attendees, including 30+ national and international authorities. He announced a new award honoring Rafael Ansón, President of the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.
Award Categories and Winners
Spirit of Excelencias
- Regional Guelaguetzas – Oaxaca, Mexico
Collected by: Saymi Adriana Pineda Velasco, Secretary of Tourism of Oaxaca.
Excelencias Awards in Memoriam
- Nicolás Muela Award
Recipient: Mandi Ciriza (AMC Network Southern Europe and Latam)
Awarded by: Rafael Ansón. - Ramón Álvarez Award – Community of Madrid
Recipient: Carolina Toledo Martínez, Deputy Director General of Promotion.
For Leadership in the MICE segment. - Silvia Zorzanello Award – Embratur, Brazil
Recipient: Marcelo Ribeiro Freixo, CEO of Embratur.
Tourist Excelencias Awards
- Central America & Dominican Republic
For Accessible Tourism Promotion Campaign.
Collected by: Boris Iraheta, Secretary General of CATA. - Ecuador – Ministry of Tourism
For Developing the Country Brand in 2024.
Collected by: Mateo Estrella Durán, Minister of Tourism. - Spain – Microsoft
For AI Applications in Tourism.
Collected by: Alejandro Mullor and Ana Rubio. - Mexico Highlights:
- Aeroméxico: For promoting air connectivity.
- Fashion Days Querétaro: For the “Edición Raíces” event.
- Secretariat of Tourism of Michoacán: For “Night of the Dead.”
- Municipality of Tampico: For “Traditional Canteens Route.”
Thematic Categories
- Wellness Category: La Casona Minera-Spa Caliche (Guanajuato, Mexico).
- Green Category: 5ta Saroco by Proyecto Rural (Colombia).
- Blue Category: Golden Galapagos & Galapagos Science Center (Ecuador).
Gourmet Excelencias Awards
- Argentina: Plan DIGAM (Mendoza).
- Cuba: Roberto Álvarez Pereira for "Wine Sommelier."
- Mexico: Festival de la Carne Asada (Coahuila).
- Individual Honorees:
- Cook Excelencias: Coco Montes (Spain).
- Bartender Excelencias: Marcio Silva (Brazil).
- Sommelier Excelencias: Santiago Carrillo (Spain).
Public Awards for Excelencias in Tourism
- Bogopedia Project (Colombia).
Acknowledgments
- Querétaro, Mexico: For its gastronomic tourism strategy.
- Nayarit, Mexico: For cultural preservation efforts.
For more details, including project images, visit the Excelencias Group's official website.
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