Pedro Zaragoza Chair awards prizes to two works on measuring tourism competitiveness and the relationship between Smart Tourism Destinations and economic development

Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair of Tourism Studies at the University of Alicante presented its awards this Thursday for the best Bachelor's and Master's theses (TFG and TFM) developed by researchers from the University of Alicante and other Spanish universities related to the tourism sector, its challenges, and opportunities. The ceremony took place in the Graduation Hall of the Faculty of Economics and Business and was attended by numerous authorities and representatives from the academic and business sectors, headed by the Mayor of Benidorm and President of the Alicante Provincial Council, Toni Pérez.

Also present were the Director of Institutional Relations and Projects, Juan Llopis Taverner; the Secretary General of Hosbec, Nuria Montes; the Director of the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair of Tourism Studies, Ana Ramón Rodríguez; and the Chair's Technical Secretary, Jesús Navarro. The academic secretary of the University Institute of Tourism Research, María Reyes González; and the Vice Dean of Internships, Students, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Alicante and coordinator of the Tourism Degree program, María Paz Such Climent, among others, were present.

At the awards ceremony, the mayor of Benidorm emphasised that this year's winning projects "perfectly reflect the major challenges and current debates in the sector," such as competitiveness, the tourist experience, multiculturalism, security, governance, and the true impact of innovation and digitalisation. "They offer us a profoundly contemporary and current perspective on issues that are neither theoretical nor distant, but rather fully linked to the reality we experience every day in cities and tourist destinations like Benidorm," the mayor noted.

Toni Pérez emphasized that these studies are “very much connected to the reality of tourism” and highlighted the first prize “for its critical review, delving into the complexity of the World Economic Forum’s international tourism competitiveness indices, reminding us that behind every ranking there must always be context, interpretation, and analytical capacity to design better public policies.” The mayor also stressed that both the award-winning and non-winning research “contribute to building a better-prepared tourism sector and more sustainable and competitive destinations.”

Finally, the mayor of Benidorm, in addition to congratulating all the award winners, acknowledged the “extraordinary work” of the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair and its director, Ana Ramón, “for continuing to make this initiative a benchmark for connecting universities, knowledge, and the tourism sector.”

Awards

In the Final Degree Project (TFG) category, the first prize was awarded to Felipe García Martínez for his work ‘Methodological Review of the TTDI and TTCI: Critical Analysis and Comparative Study of the Spanish Case’, supervised by Ana Belén Ramón. The second prize went to Karen Fernández Giménez for her work ‘Beyond Luxury: The VIP Experience as a Competitive Strategy’, supervised by Jorge Pereira Moliner. The third prize went to Beatriz Segura Quintero for her work, “Analysis of the Potential of Alicante’s Central Market for Gastronomic Tourism,” supervised by Rosario Andreu Guerrero.

In the Master’s Thesis category, Mounir Halkhams won first prize for his work, “Smart Tourism Destinations and Economic Development: An Econometric Analysis of Spanish Municipalities 2018–2024,” supervised by Luis Moreno Izquierdo. Second prize was awarded to Claudia Muriana Dias for her work, “Cultural Tourism and Gender: An Analysis of the Importance of Safety in the Choice of Destinations for Women Travelling Alone from an Intergenerational Perspective,” supervised by Javier Ortega Fernández. Third prize went to Giuliana Pahioli Sanfelice for “Construction and Reproduction of the Tourist City Through Postcards: Benidorm, Lloret de Mar, and Torremolinos,” supervised by Alejandro Mantecón Terán. Another third prize was awarded to Elena Smekhunova for her work. 'The Multiculturalism of Tourist-Residential Destinations: A Differentiating Factor and a New Social Reality. Application to Torrevieja', directed by Fernando Vera Rebollo and Marco Antonio Celdrán.

During the awards ceremony, it was announced that the seven winning projects will soon travel to Benidorm to present their findings at the BeCiti hub during an upcoming working session of the chair.

Meeting of Chairs

On the other hand, the mayor participated in the University of Alicante's Chairs Meeting, in a round table discussion entitled "Institutional and Corporate Chairs: Analysis of Experiences," where he stated that the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair "provides us with institutional recognition and represents knowledge transfer and innovation in governance, with projects that have a territorial impact." Pérez emphasized that the chair "acts as a strategic bridge between the university and the tourism sector" and added that "it aligns with our commitment to the SDGs, specifically SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals, by uniting academia with public administrations and the business and production sectors."

Toni Pérez praised the role of the chair, saying that it "transfers knowledge because it generates knowledge, and that has always been, is, and will be useful for Benidorm, its management, planning, and governance; key studies for decision-making, the promotion of sustainability and universal accessibility, the encouragement of innovation, the promotion of vocational training and local talent, and, in short, the reinforcement of Benidorm's national and international leadership."

Chair of Tourism Studies

Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair of Tourism Studies aims to analyse, research, and teach the realities, challenges, and perspectives of tourism businesses and destinations in general, from all relevant viewpoints. It is responsible for developing training programs and conducting research that contributes to improving education and knowledge in this field.

Its program of activities includes organising courses and seminars on tourism-related topics, with a special focus on the Costa Blanca and Benidorm, as well as conferences and exhibitions on tourism, along with carrying out studies and research projects.

The Chair is a collaborative effort involving the University of Alicante, the Benidorm City Council, Visit Benidorm, the Alicante Provincial Council, the Costa Blanca Tourist Board, Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Invattur, and the Hosbec business association.