Discover The Palm Beaches Announces Open Call for Providencia Award Nominations

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (February 23, 2022) – Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, is now accepting nominations for the 30^th Providencia Award. The award is presented to a local business, organization or individual making an extraordinary contribution to the vitality and prosperity of Palm Beach County as a desirable tourist destination. Examples of exemplary contributions include the establishment of new event(s), expansion of facilities, and achievement of outstanding business levels. Nominations may be made online through Friday, March 16, 2022, at www.ThePalmBeaches.com/Providencia-Award.
 
“Travel is back to pre-pandemic levels in Palm Beach County and our tourism partners worked very hard to make that happen,” stated Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO for Discover The Palm Beaches. “We want to honor our community leaders and businesses and illuminate the efforts that helped us persevere, come back stronger, and succeed as a premier tourist destination. Making it through such a devastating period for our industry is a cause for celebration.”
 
In order to qualify for nomination, nominees must meet all of the following criteria:

• The organization or individual must reside in or be a resident of Palm Beach County, employed or otherwise associated with tourism, travel, or hospitality
• Must contribute to the growth of the local tourism industry
• Implement innovative sales, marketing, public relations, and social media initiatives to enhance The Palm Beaches’ image
• May not be an elected official or a TDC agency-affiliated member or organization

The DTPB Providencia Committee, which is comprised of tourism professionals throughout the county, will review all nominations narrowing the list to three final candidates. The public will then be invited to select the Providencia Award winner by voting online. Public voting will begin Friday, April 1, and run through Friday, April 22, 2022. The Award winner will be announced during DTPB’s Travel Rally Day celebration on May 6, 2022.  Winners from recent years have included: Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Palm Beach Outlets, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, and Lion Country Safari.
 
The award is named after the Providencia – a cargo ship carrying 20,000 coconuts that ran aground off Palm Beach’s coast in 1878. The planting of those coconuts, by pioneer families, created the lush palm grove that inspired Henry Flagler to build two resorts and eventually name the Town of Palm Beach and America’s First Resort Destination®. Tourism generates $7.7 billion in total economic impact, 12 percent of Palm Beach County’s economy, and visitors to The Palm Beaches generate $5.1 billion in direct spending. The demand and revenue for hotels made a comeback in 2021, especially in domestic leisure travel with The Palm Beaches seeing about 7.9 million visitors. 
 
“The Palm Beaches’ were founded on tourism and hospitality, and our mission is to grow this tourism economy and generate visitors, but we can only do this with strong community engagement from our partners.  The Providencia Award allows us to recognize those in our community who have helped us accomplish this mission and celebrates their unique, creative, and innovative contributions,” said Pesquera.
 
The Providencia Award winner will be announced at Travel Rally Day on May 6, 2022. Travel Rally Day, which is held in observance of the U.S. Travel Association’s National Travel and Tourism Week (May 1-7, 2022), is an annual celebration that brings together tourism and hospitality businesses and personnel to share in togetherness and celebrates this year’s theme, “FUTURE OF TRAVEL.”
 
Learn more about The Palm Beaches at www.ThePalmBeaches.com or follow along on social media via @PalmBeachesFL.

About Discover The Palm Beaches

Discover The Palm Beaches is the official 501(c)(6) not-for-profit, accredited tourism marketing organization that promotes the collection of 39 cities and towns commonly referred to as The Palm Beaches, which spans more than 2,300 square miles and boasts 47 miles of pristine beaches from Highland Beach and Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta. Tasked with growing visitation and the local tourism economy, the organization works year-round to bring travelers from around the state, country, and globe to visit Palm Beach County. The Palm Beaches’ have a rich history in hospitality as America’s First Resort Destination® and tourism is among Palm Beach County’s major industries, generating $5.5 billion in economic impact during 2020.
 
The Palm Beaches are home to more than 18,000 hotel rooms and feature more than 100 family-friendly attractions, an abundance of world-class luxury, award-winning restaurants, and 125 miles of peaceful waterways for on- or in-the-water activities, including 160 artificial reefs that line the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream current. 160 golf courses have earned it the moniker of Florida’s Golf Capital®, as well as The Cultural Capital of Florida® due to its thriving entertainment scene of more than 200 art and culture organizations. Situated along I-95, The Palm Beaches are accessible via Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), which offers more than 100 daily nonstop flights to 30 cities in the United States. The Palm Beaches are also conveniently located within driving distance of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami International airports.

For more information about The Palm Beaches, visit www.ThePalmBeaches.com or on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok). Visitors and residents can take advantage of county-wide deals via The Palm Beaches Savings Pass.  They can also tune in to The Palm Beaches TV for 24/7 streaming content of the destination’s hotels, attractions, restaurants, and experiences.
 
Media Contact:
Discover The Palm Beaches
Public Relations Team: PR@ThePalmBeaches.com