InterMundial hosts the Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Awards at FITUR 2023

InterMundial Foundation held the 6th edition of its TRS (Responsible and Sustainable Tourism) Awards this Wednesday, January 18, at FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair, which runs through Sunday, January 22, at IFEMA MADRID.

These awards, organized in collaboration with FITUR and the ITH (Hotel Technology Institute), recognize companies and individuals in the tourism sector who have committed, through various initiatives, to the development of tourism that is sustainable and responsible toward the environment, the economy, and society.

InterMundial Foundation Trustee Manuel López opened the ceremony by welcoming attendees and providing a brief summary of the award categories: Hospitality, Tourism Products and Services, Tour Operator, Destination, Media, and Social Media.

Following this, Natalia Bayona, Director of Innovation, Education, and Investments at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), spoke to highlight Responsible Tourism initiatives and the UNWTO's strong commitment to sustainability.

Grupo Barceló was the winner in the "Hospitality" category. José María Navarro, Director of the Barceló Foundation, accepted the award, which recognizes the work of the Alisol (Solidarity Food) Project, which distributed over 223,000 kilos of fresh produce in Mallorca during 2021.

PortAventura won the award in the "Tourism Products and Services" category. This achievement was earned for the construction of the largest self-consumption photovoltaic plant at a resort hotel, featuring over 11,000 solar panels dedicated exclusively to the theme park's energy needs. Choni Fernández, Director of Central Services and Sustainability at PortAventura, accepted the award.

In the "Tour Operator" category, ICARION was chosen by the jury for its "Solidarity Suitcase" project. This initiative allows travelers to check an additional suitcase—at no extra cost—filled with school supplies, medicine, footwear, toys, and more, to be donated to the local population in Kenya. The group's General Manager, Fernando Sánchez, received the recognition during the awards ceremony.

The city of Málaga was selected in the "Best Destination" category for its commitment to sustainability, which has made it a European benchmark, as it was the first Spanish city and one of the first in Europe to implement Agenda 21. Jonathan Gómez Punzón, General Director of the Tourism Department for the Málaga City Council, accepted the award.

The newspaper Preferente received the "Media" award, which was accepted by its director, Miguel Praga. The publication features a section on tourism sustainability and highlights sustainable initiatives from industry leaders.

Finally, Carlo Cuñado, known as @teprestomisojos, was honored in this sixth edition with the award in the "Social Media" category for his significant environmental awareness work across all his channels (TikTok, Instagram, and his blog). His primary focus is disseminating information about sustainability and fighting against issues such as depopulation and waste dumping.

About the InterMundial Foundation

For Quality Tourism.

The main objective of the InterMundial Foundation is to showcase the benefits that tourism brings to society and the environment, fostering research toward responsible tourism development and rewarding any initiative that promotes the excellence and commitment the tourism industry maintains with the socioeconomic and environmental context.

The InterMundial Foundation is part of the InterMundial Group, a group specialized in the tourism sector that provides insurance and services to companies and travelers, whose parent company is InterMundial, the leading travel insurance broker in Spain.