- The formal act of twinning the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) with the municipality of Estepona was held at the end of the Gala event
- The award for the “2017 Latin America Tourism Personality” was presented to Carlos Joaquín González, Governor of Quintana Roo (Mexico)
- Companies who received awards in the different categories included Logitravel, TUI Group, Wamos Group, Jet2, Hotelbeds.com, Booking.com, Best Day Travel, Roiback, Air Canada, Travelpulse, and Transat
BlueBay Hotels, the eighth Spanish hotel company by international presence and the 10th largest hotel group regarding hotel rooms[1], celebrated the BlueBay Travel Awards gala event last night in Madrid. The event, now in its fourth year, has become an event of reference as a precursor to FITUR. More than 240 guests from the tourism sector and other leading figures from social, business and political spheres at a national and international level attended the event at the Casino de Madrid. Management from 11 companies collected their awards in the different categories, and another eight companies received recognition (made from recycled material) for their professionalism.
The Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquín González, a person who is crucial in understanding the evolution of Mexican tourism over the last ten years, attended the event to collect his award as the “2017 Latin America Outstanding Tourism Personality” in recognition of his impeccable trajectory and firm commitment to quality, safety and promoting the tourism sector in Mexico and Quintana Roo.
“The celebration of these awards is a great opportunity to recognise the efforts made by these companies during the year. At BlueBay Hotels, we can promote change and innovation in the sector, and this event is a great opportunity to do it,” said Jamal Satli Iglesias, Chairman of BlueBay Hotels.
Ramón Hernández, CEO of BlueBay Hotels, also wanted to highlight the international character of the awards: “among the guests at the Gala we have the pleasure of the company of ministers, consuls and ambassadors, sheikhs and governors, senators, deputies and mayors, business partners, colleagues and friends from more than 25 different countries,” explained Hernández.
At the end of the ceremony, the Mayor of the Municipality of Estepona, José María García Urbano, and the Governor of South Sinai, Khaled Fouda Sedike, signed a twinning agreement between the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) and the Malaga municipality.
This agreement has been led by the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO), of which the Chairman of BlueBay Hotels, Jamal Satli Iglesias, is a senior advisor. This union enhances and promotes both destinations internationally in the holiday segment by promoting tourism in the two regions through joint agreements.
Companies who won awards in the different categories included:
Air Canada won the “Leading Air Travel Provider” award for its performance, cooperation capacity, growth within the highly competitive international market, overcoming the many challenges faced by the air transport community, and providing excellent service quality to passengers.
Booking won the “Best Travel Booking App” award for its attractive digital travel experience, functionality, performance, quality purchasing experience, growth and ability to offer users a practical and easy to use product.
TUI Group won the “Europe’s Leading Tour Operator” award for its strength, for offering a distinctive product based on exclusive content and placing emphasis on the continuous expansion and modernisation of its offer.
Travelpulse won the “Leading Digital Press Platform” award for its leadership in publishing content and covering travel news stories first, journalistic rigour and being an indisputable media reference for all tourism professionals.
Hotelbeds won the “Best B2B Travel Provider” award for implementing new and effective distribution channels in international markets and its huge growth in strengthening its position in the USA and Asia.
Wamos Group won the “Best National Travel Agency” award for its performance, cooperation, growth within the demanding international market and exceptional quality in the service it provides to travellers.
Best Day Travel won the “Best Wholesale Distribution” award for its constant growth and strengthening its position, the variety of its services, its cutting-edge technology and its leadership in Latin America.
Transat won the “Best Holiday Travel Company” award for its exceptional track record, continuous service improvements, excellent user and agent experience, and the coverage and quality of its offer.
Roiack won the “Best Hotel Booking Tool” award for its cutting-edge technology, user friendliness, rapid deployment and functionality.
Jet2 won the “Responsible Tourism” award for its actions respecting the environment, its benefits for the social and economic well-being of people in the destination countries, the protection of heritage, and its commitment towards tourism today and in the future.
Logitravel won the “Best Technology Innovation Company” award for its successful trajectory, for its technological innovation and always being at the forefront of the industry.
About BlueBay Hotels
BlueBay Hotels the eighth largest Spanish hotel company regarding international presence and the tenth largest Spanish hotel chain in terms of hotel rooms. The group has its headquarters in Palma de Mallorca and currently operates 54 hotels in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caribbean under the hotels’ four brands: BlueBay Hotels & Resorts, Le Royal Hotels & Resorts by BlueBay, Blue Diamond and BelleVue Hotels & Resorts, which cater to its customers’ needs worldwide from luxury and grand luxury cultural tourism to an offer more centred on sun and beach tourism.
It operates 21 hotels in Spain divided between the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Andalucía, Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid.
BlueBay Hotels future development is based on innovation, quality and commitment to its customers and its 6000 employees.
The group and its different establishments have received several awards from leading companies within the tourism sector such as the Jetsetter Best Hotel, the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, the Tomas Cook awards, the RCI awards and the Holiday Check awards, among others. Equally notable is the award for best company stand at Fitur 2014 and The Golden Fleece from the Santiago Order received by the Chairman of BlueBay Hotels, Jamal Satli Iglesias for his work of exceptional merit.
