The Ministry of Tourism and Andalusia Exterior has announced the list of awardees of the Andalusia Tourism Awards 2025. These recognitions are granted by the Andalusian Government to distinguish the work of individuals, companies, and institutions in the tourism sector of the community. The awards are given in different categories, such as tourism excellence, business trajectory, sector work, innovation, and accessibility, among others.
«Tourism is a key sector for the economy and social dynamism of Andalusia, and with these awards, we aim to recognize the companies, professionals, initiatives, and institutions that contribute to making this industry have a world-class reputation. We at the Andalusian Government are very proud of all those who make this activity increasingly generate more wealth and prosperity in our land, and enable the ‘Andalusia brand’ to be known worldwide,» said Minister Arturo Bernal.
The award for ‘Ambassador of Andalusia’ has been given to ‘MasterChef’, the culinary ‘talent’ show produced by TVE in collaboration with Shine Iberia. The program’s commitment to Andalusia has been evident since its first broadcast in 2013. Just in the latest ‘MasterChef 12’, the competition visited the community on three occasions to film three unforgettable exteriors: the town of Ubrique, the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, and the Holy Week in Malaga. Additionally, in the latest edition of ‘MasterChef Celebrity 9’, the program visited the town of Tarifa. On all these occasions, the program has achieved high audience ratings, solidifying its success in Andalusia.
In the category of ‘Tourism Excellence’ for institutions, associations, or foundations, the business association of Travel Agencies of Jaén has been recognized. This entity, with 36 years of associative experience in the province and in Andalusia as a tourist destination, has promoted unity and support for professionals in the sector. The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV), along with the Provincial Association of Travel Agencies of Jaén and the Andalusian Federation of Travel Agencies, the Andalusian Government, the Tourism Board of the Jaén Provincial Council, and the Jaén City Council have officially presented the 8th World Summit of Travel Agency Associations, to be held from November 5 to 7 in Jaén.
The Hoteles Porcel Group in Granada has been recognized in the category of ‘Tourism Business Trajectory’. This group was founded in 1975 when Buenaventura Porcel Alcalde established the anonymous society PORCASA to build the Alixares Hotel in Granada, but its history goes back much further. Behind this family business is a century of dedication and tradition in the hotel industry, dating back to the early twentieth century. The employment data at Hoteles Porcel stand out, especially for the stability enjoyed by 95% of its staff. Female entrepreneurship has also been present at all levels, including in the company’s management. Currently, the Hoteles Porcel Group is valued at the regional and national levels, with 200 employees, and is committed to constant innovation through new alternatives and paths in the hospitality and catering industry.
Two workers tied for the ‘Tourism Worker’ award: Lucía del Ara Soriano Morilla, who has worked since 2009 as a circulation factor in the provinces of Huelva and Seville and has been a supervisor at the Circulation Regulation Center (CRC) at the Santa Justa Station in Seville since 2020, managing an average of 400 trains daily, both passengers and freight. She represents the inclusion of young women in a sector historically dominated by men, as evidenced by her leadership in the union and transportation infrastructure.
On April 28, during the general blackout that affected the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of other countries, an extraordinary and heroic event took place in Torremolinos. A British tourist staying at a hotel in the town suddenly went into labor at the hotel’s entrance. The hotel receptionist, Arturo Bermúdez Camacho, immediately attended to her, assisting in the birth. The baby was born without a pulse, and thanks to the resuscitation maneuvers provided by the worker, guided over the phone by the instructions of the 061 doctors, he managed to save the baby. Arturo thus carried out an extraordinary act of courage, dedication, and commitment.
The award for ‘Good Practices in Tourism Employment’ has been given to the Islantilla Hospitality School. Affiliated with the Andalusian Employment Service (SAE), this public center for specialized vocational training in the tourism and hotel sector has had a significant impact on the Andalusian tourism industry, standing out for its contribution to the training of approximately 600 highly qualified professionals. These graduates have effectively met the quality standards required by the tourism sector, meeting the demand for specialized personnel. Additionally, the School has been the source of 53 new business initiatives, bringing dynamism to the business fabric, especially in the province of Huelva, through innovative and distinctive proposals.
A Destination of Excellence
In the year 2000, a project called ‘Destino Andalucía’ was born at COPE Andalucía with a clear mission: to bring Andalusians closer to their own land, rediscover it with new eyes, and show them all the possibilities to enjoy it, especially every weekend.
The essence of the program is to focus on the community as a privileged, inexhaustible, and surprising destination. Since then, this space has become a window to the tourist excellences of Andalusia, helping listeners explore it from multiple perspectives: its landscapes, its towns, its history, its art, its gastronomy, and its hospitality. For all these reasons, it has been considered that the program should receive the Communication Award.
The Rutas del Vino y Brandy del marco de Jerez association has been recognized with the award for ‘Training and Tourism Research’. This public-private, non-profit association has been working since its establishment in 2006 to promote cohesion, promotion, and sustainable development of wine tourism in the Marco de Jerez, made up of the nine municipalities that make up the production and aging area of the Denominations of Origin «Jerez-Xérès-Sherry,» Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Vinegar of Jerez, and the Specific Denomination Brandy de Jerez: Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Chiclana de la Frontera, Chipiona, Puerto Real, Rota, Trebujena, and Lebrija.
Since its inception, the Ruta del Vino and Brandy del Marco de Jerez has boldly embraced training, innovation, and knowledge transfer as strategic axes to promote tourism excellence, strengthen the territory’s capabilities, and position this wine tourism destination as a reference at the national and international levels.
The ‘Tourism Innovation’ award has been given to the La Costa Restaurant in El Ejido (Almería). Located in an industrial estate outside the urban core, it opened its doors to serve the nearby horticultural marketing company, with a transport agency within the ‘La Costa’ premises. Since ancient times, all agricultural strikes started from ‘La Costa,’ while truck drivers waited at its bar to receive loads to transport the vegetables of El Ejido around the world.
The true innovation of ‘La Costa’ lies in becoming one of the main tourist attractions in the municipality, leveraging the strength of the agricultural sector and creating synergies to offer visitors a 360º experience where they learn about integrated horticultural production.
The project ‘Caminos del Rocío sin barreras,’ an accessible pilgrimage of three days specifically designed for people with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities, is the only rural-religious tourism experience of its kind in Spain. It is not simply about adapting the Camino but rethinking it, building an experience where every detail – adapted vehicles, medical accompaniment, accessible lodging, shaded areas, or inclusive provisioning – meets the true needs of those who have so far been relegated to watching the pilgrimage from afar.
With the collaboration of volunteers, accessibility experts, health professionals, brotherhoods sensitive to the cause, and the support of committed entities, the ‘Camino del Rocío sin barreras’ has taken shape as a true collective feat of overcoming.
Finally, the city of Córdoba has been recognized as a ‘Destination of Tourism Excellence’, boasting a unique historical-monumental heritage in the world. Examples of this include the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs from the 13th century and the Synagogue from the 14th century, unique in Andalusia, one of the three preserved in Spain.
The Mosque from the 8th century is Córdoba’s jewel, the most important monument in the entire Islamic West, and one of the most astonishing in the world, recognized as a World Heritage Site since 1984 and unique in the world for housing a Christian Cathedral within it. Additionally, the city is home to Medina Azahara from the 10th century, a World Heritage Site since July 2018 and an archaeological site of the palatial city that Abderramán III built as a symbol of the power of the Caliphate of Córdoba. Moreover, in the historic center of Córdoba, one of the largest in Europe declared a World Heritage Site in 1994, is the Jewish Quarter.
Córdoba has all the elements to be a meeting point and a national and international reference in the congress, convention, and professional meeting sector thanks to its rich heritage, strategic geographical location, excellent communication network, a modern and functional Congress Palace located next to the Mosque, and a new Exhibition, Fair, and Convention Center (CEFC).
