Meet the Winners of the 2025 Excelencias Awards, Held at FITUR
FITUR hosted the 2025 Excelencias Awards: discover the winners and why they are setting trends in international tourism
The gala for the 21st edition of the Excelencias Awards, held within the framework of FITUR, brought together more than 300 guests, including national and international authorities, ambassadors, governors, ministers, mayors, institutional representatives, and tourism sector professionals, consolidating its position as one of the hallmark events of the trade fair's opening day.
Now an essential fixture on the calendar, the Excelencias Awards once again positioned Madrid as the meeting point for tourism, gastronomy, and culture. During the gala, the Tourism Excelencias, Caribbean News Digital, Gourmet Excelencias, and In Memoriam Excelencias awards were presented—the latter intended to keep alive the legacy of essential figures in the sector—in an edition that recognized projects and career paths from 15 countries.
During the opening of the event, the President of Grupo Excelencias, José Carlos de Santiago, highlighted that During the event’s opening remarks, the President of Grupo Excelencias, José Carlos de Santiago, addressed the audience with a poignant acknowledgment of the national context. “Today is a sad day for everyone due to the unusual tragedies occurring in our country," he said, referring to the recent rail accident. "Nevertheless, this room is full. We are mindful of the great effort you have all made to be here on this first day of FITUR.”
He also extended a special thank you to Mexico, noting that it was the country with the highest number of entries. “The recognitions for that nation hold great value for us," he noted. "My friends, you are a family in which Excelencias has presented the beauties of Ibero-America for 28 years—a legacy substantial enough to enhance the very awards we bestow. We have now reached 20 years of the Excelencias Awards.”
De Santiago concluded by describing the honors as a catalyst for broader industry growth: “This award is a tiny grain of sand contributed so that others may build the mountain within this industry,” he stated, underlining the role of the Excelencias Awards as a platform for projects that generate real impact, support local populations, and contribute to the long-term, responsible development of global territories”, emphasizing the role of the Excelencias Awards as a platform to recognize projects that generate real impact, support people, and contribute to the development of territories through a responsible and long-term vision.
Once again this year, all finalist projects—whether selected as winners by the jury or not—had the opportunity to compete for the Public Choice Excelencias Award, reinforcing the participatory nature of the accolades through an open vote that exceeded 50,000 ballots.
The 2025 Tourism Excelencias Awards honored initiatives from Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Cuba, Argentina, Egypt, and the countries of Central America, confirming the international reach of awards that, since 2005, have recognized excellence as a driver of tourism, economic, and social development.
2025 Caribbean News Digital Award
The Caribbean News Digital Award, granted by this media outlet, recognizes companies and institutions that stand out for their contribution to spreading the values of excellence, sustainability, and tourism development in the Caribbean and the Americas. The award was presented to:
Archipelago International & Dunna Developments: For their contribution to tourism and urban development in the Caribbean, and for the Tonino Lamborghini Hotel & Residences by Huxley project—an investment of over $300 million in Cap Cana that drives luxury, LEED-certified sustainability, and high economic and employment impact.
2025 Tourism Excelencias Awards - Winning Projects
Mendoza Oliva Bien – EMETUR (Mendoza, Argentina): An olive tourism product that positions Mendoza's olive oil through routes, sensory experiences, and educational actions linked to the land.
Central America Big Day – CATA (Central America): A regional birdwatching initiative that highlights biodiversity and positions the region as a leading destination for birdwatching and citizen science.
Blue Category: FLAG #206 Expedition – ProColombia & The Explorers Club (San Andrés, Colombia): A scientific tourism project that applies advanced technology to the study of marine biodiversity and climate change.
New Latin American Cinema Festival – FNCL & ICAIC (Havana, Cuba): An annual cultural event that boosts the audiovisual industry and strengthens regional cultural dialogue as a tourist attraction.
Dunas Travel (Egypt): A sustainable tourism model with a social focus that promotes gender equality and the development of local communities.
Ruta N-VI (Spain): A "slow" road trip between Madrid and A Coruña that revitalizes inland territories through responsible tourism, heritage, and the local economy.
Red de Pueblos Gastronómicos de España (Spain): A product club that drives rural development by integrating gastronomy, culture, and tourism innovation.
Green Category: Estrategia de Acción Climática para el Turismo – CAMTUR (Guatemala): A participatory national instrument that guides the tourism sector toward climate resilience, emission reduction, and green financing.
Recognition of Mundo Charro (Mexico): A theme park dedicated to charrería, an intangible cultural heritage of humanity and a symbol of Mexican identity.
Professional Career of Armando Jesús Bojórquez (Mexico): Recognition of a key career in the leadership and international projection of Mexican tourism.
Bahía de mi Vida – Conexiones Invisibles (Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, Mexico): A documentary by Mati Covarrubias that showcases the territory through an environmental and community lens.
Pueblos Mancomunados (Oaxaca, Mexico): A Zapotec community model of responsible tourism that generates employment, preserves indigenous identity, and serves as an international benchmark.
Maravillas del Hogar del Sol (Guerrero, Mexico): A tourism diversification program that highlights territories with cultural identity and local vocation.
Enoturismo en el Valle de la Independencia (Guanajuato, Mexico): A viticultural project that promotes routes, harvests, and experiences as a driver of sustainable development.
Ruta del Árbol de la Vida (Metepec, Estado de México, Mexico): A cultural initiative that reinforces local identity through artisanal heritage and the tourist experience.
Jazz Internacional Tampico Fest 2025 (Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico): A music festival that drives cultural tourism and the creative economy of the Gulf of Mexico.
Camino Iniciático de Santiago (Querétaro, Mexico): A tourist route that integrates heritage, nature, and spirituality as a low-impact tourism proposal.
Ruta Miel y Selva (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico): A Mayan community tourism project based on ancestral knowledge, environmental conservation, and local development.
2025 Tourism Excelencias Public Choice Award - La Gran Cabalgata de Sabinas – (Coahuila, Mexico): An equestrian event with over three decades of history, chosen by popular vote, which generates identity and a notable economic impact.
Posthumous Recognition – Ricardo Acosta Rodríguez La Rosa (Peru): A tribute to over four decades of leadership and service to Peruvian tourism, with a career key to strengthening the sector, professionalizing associations, and driving competitive, sustainable, and inclusive tourism in the country.
Wellness Category: Sociedades más sanas – Spa Natural Center (Dominican Republic): A wellness tourism project that integrates well-being, sustainability, and social inclusion through community training and employment.
The In Memoriam Excelencias Awards keep alive the legacy of essential figures in tourism and gastronomy, recognizing careers and territories that have contributed decisively to the sector's development.
State of Alagoas (Brazil): Silvia Zorzanello In Memoriam Award for its tourism positioning based on cultural identity, sustainability, and international projection.
Milla de Oro del Vino – Provincia de Valladolid: Ramón Álvarez In Memoriam Award for its contribution to MICE and wine tourism.
Alfonso Marín Caffarena: Nicolás Muela In Memoriam Award for his commitment to the cultural and tourism projection of Ibero-America.
As is tradition, the awards were embodied in the multi-colored diamond, a symbol of excellence with many facets that is not measured by immediate applause, but by its ability to leave a mark, support people, and build the future.
The gala also hosted the presentation of the Gourmet Excelencias Awards, which recognized projects and careers from six countries, highlighting gastronomy as culture, identity, territory, and a driver of development through initiatives and professionals in the kitchen, front-of-house, wine, mixology, coffee, and gastronomic communication.
With this 21st edition, the Excelencias Awards reaffirm their mission to recognize and disseminate initiatives that understand tourism as a tool for development, cohesion, and the future, with people at the center and a real impact on territories.
Full list of winners: here you can see all the awardees of the 2025 Excelencias Awards
