The event is dedicated this year to promote universal accessibility
Benidorm has celebrated this Tuesday the World Tourism Day with the delivery of the Tourism Awards 2016, which this year have gone to Doble Amor Association, PREDIF entity, the exathlete and British presenter Ade Adepitan and Cable Ski. The awards ceremony took place in an institutional ceremony held at the Plenary Hall, chaired by the mayor and delegate of Tourism, Toni Pérez, and which was attended by the Consul of Belgium, Anneke Mussche; the president of Hosbec; Toni Mayor; the manager of Visit Benidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao; the director of the Valencian Institute of Tourism Technologies (Invat • tur) and the Tourism Centre (Cdt) Domingo Devesa, Francisco Juan Martínez; as well as representatives of the tourism sector and the municipal corporation. The theme chosen this year for the event: to promote universal accessibility in tourism. The mayor said that "universal accessibility in tourism" is "a shared responsibility" for all tourism stakeholders, and also "a range of opportunities for companies and destinations". Pérez stressed that Benidorm "is moving on the right track" to achieve universal accessibility, and stressed that destinations that improve the accessibility of their services "improve their competitiveness and image and the companies that they carry out their activity ". He also added that "we must continue to remove the barriers that prevent us further democratize the enjoyment of leisure and tourism in the best environment." The Tourism Awards in International category has been for Ade Adepitan, former Paralympian born in Nigeria and settled since his childhood in the UK, and in recent years has highlighted by his role as a television presenter in spaces linked to tourism such as Travel Show (BBC). Benidorm last year starred in one of the programs conducted for Travel Show by Adepitan, who has excused his absence from the awards ceremony today and the award will be presented in the near future. In the national category, it has been recognized the Representative State Platform for Physically Disabled (PREDIF), a non profit organization that is a "benchmark in accessible tourism". On behalf of the entity the award was collected by Enrique Lorente, who thanked the hospitality industry and the city for enjoying an accesible vacation. With regard to the local / regional category, Benidorm has awarded Doble Amor association, which has 56 students in its Occupational Centre for people with intellectual disabilities and 50 employees in its Special Employment Centre of Laundry. The vice president of the association, José Luis Calvo collected the award on behalf of the president, Casimiro Vila, and ensured that this recognition serves "to spur us to continue growing in quality and quantity of services." Finally, a special mention of the Tourism Awards 2016 was for Cable Ski Benidorm, which this year celebrates its half a century in operation. This ski, which was the first in the world to be located in the sea, has pursued since its opening to bring this sport to everyone. The founder of Cable Ski Benidorm, Humberto Armas described how the installation of this infrastructure of leisure in the town was conceived and why Benidorm was chosen, and assured he was "proud and grateful to the city that welcomed me and where I made my life. "
SICTED
The ceremony also served to recognize local businesses that have joined this year to distinctions of the Integrated System of Spanish Tourism Quality in Destinations (SICTED), and also those who have renewed this certification. Companies that have achieved the distinction SICTED this year are: Autocares Grupo Benidorm SL, Autocares Martínez, Beniconnect Travel Agency, Hotel Benilux Park, Hotel La Era Park, Hotel Les Dunes Comodoro, Restaurant La Cava Aragonesa, Tourist Office Rincón and Tragantúa Restaurant . The following local busineeses have renovated the distinction made in 2014 : Camping Arena Blanca, Camping Armanello, Gran Hotel Delfin, Hotel Corona del Mar, Hotel Helios, Hotel Madeira, Poseidón Hotels, Poseidón Palace and Beach, Hotel Princesa, Hotel Rosamar, Office Tourism Center, Optics AquaVision, and Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas beaches.
