Editor’s note: High-resolution images of the three finalists can be downloaded, here: https://palmbeachfl.sharefile.com/d-sca54b1f1e0304307ac1efbdfc2dc77c4
 
Sample tweet: Vote for the tourism partner that most deserves #ThePalmBeaches Providencia Award at https://palmbeachpost.gatehousecontests.com/28th-Annual-Providencia-Awards @PalmBeachesFL @PBPost
 
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (April 12, 2021) – Discover The Palm Beaches, the official tourism marketing agency for Palm Beach County, announced today the start of the online public voting process to select the recipient of the esteemed 29^th Providencia Award. The award is given to a local business, organization, or individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary contribution to the vitality and prosperity of The Palm Beaches as a desirable tourist destination.
 
As part of the selection process, the community is invited to cast their vote for the winner of the Providencia Award beginning April 12, 2021, through April 26, 2021, by 11:59 p.m. through this link: https://palmbeachpost.gannettcontests.com/29th-Providencia-Awards/.

This year’s three finalists are Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island, and The Square.
 
“The Providencia Award has become a time-honored tradition and way to celebrate outstanding entities or individual contributors in our local tourism community,” said Jorge Pesquera, president, and CEO for Discover The Palm Beaches. “Our diverse destination of eclectic attractions, accommodations, and community retailers shine through in this year’s nominees, representing a leading marine life and ocean conservation center, a luxury resort, and refreshed park-like mixed-due entertainment neighborhood. We’re humbled to have these industry partners as key elements of what makes The Palm Beaches an ideal place to visit, work and live. Please join me in congratulating the nominees and show your support by voting,” said Pesquera. The Providencia Award is named after the Spanish ship that sank off Palm Beach’s coast in 1878. Its crew salvaged the cargo of 20,000 Trinidad coconuts and sold them to local residents, who planted them along the waterfront, eventually inspiring the town’s name. This year’s winner will be announced during a Travel Rally Day + Providencia Award ceremony at the Lake Worth Beach Casino Building on May 7, 2021, at 9 a.m.

“We’re delighted to serve as a partner in the long-standing tradition of these awards, giving the community a platform to vote,” said Chadi Irani, Market Leader of The Palm Beach Post and LOCALiQ. “It’s exciting to be part of the interactive process and support key players in the tourism industry, one that is so vital to our destination.”

Following the initial application process, a committee of local tourism representatives selected the three finalists. Each nominee demonstrated excellence in contributing to the growth of the local tourism industry; implementing innovative marketing, public relations and social media initiatives; and creating awareness of The Palm Beaches as a premier tourist destination.
 
Some highlights of the finalists’ exceptional contributions to Palm Beach County’s tourism industry include:

Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) is a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation and educational institution that promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The Center features an on-site hospital, research laboratory, educational exhibits and aquariums, and also operates the Juno Beach Pier, which hosts world-class angling and sightseeing. Situated on one of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches, LMC is open daily and annually hosts over 350,000 guests free-of-charge, though it accepts donations. The Center works with 187 local and international organizations across six continents to form partnerships and share initiatives and best practices that are core to its mission of sea turtle and ocean conservation. The Center has launched its capital expansion campaign, designed to accelerate and amplify LMC’s conservation and education impact. When complete, the facility will offer one of the world’s most advanced and unique experiences for guests and scientific partners.
 
Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island
In March 2020, Florida closed to tourists, and residents were asked to hunker down. According to VISIT Florida, at the same time, total hotel revenue in Florida dropped 77.6% over the year before. Instead of closing, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa tapped a new customer base, while joining the community’s ongoing battle against COVID-19. Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa has stayed open continuously throughout the ongoing pandemic. In the early days of the outbreak, the resort quickly activated special rates for health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. While travel essentially came to a screeching halt and Palm Beach County’s beaches closed, Palm Beach Marriott created daily messages of hope and inspiration on their beach using lounge chairs and umbrellas. The messages were visible via the resort’s live beach cam and social media channels. The messages thanked first responders, teachers, truckers, and the travel and hospitality industry, while other messages let states hardest hit by the pandemic, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, know that the resort was standing with them. As travel resumed, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa was the first hotel in Palm Beach County to offer on-site COVID-19 testing for its guests.
 
The Square
Since its reimagination in 2019, The Square has transformed into a welcoming and refreshing well-connected neighborhood that is committed to collaborating with artists, chefs, creatives, and entrepreneurs culminating in a beloved live, work, and visitor destination. The 72-acre park-like neighborhood is best known for its refreshing and tropical outdoor spaces, large-scale community events and celebrations, brand activations, and pop-ups in collaboration with local and national businesses and organizations. With more than 1,000 outdoor dining seats, 100,000 square feet of premier home goods plus new restaurants that span more than 16,000 square feet, robust selection of new retail openings, and world-class art, The Square’s investments continued to attract tourists and provide a must-visit location for the community and travelers alike.
 
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’ has 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, and LinkedIn). You can also tune in to The Palm Beaches TV for 24/7 streaming content of the destination’s hotels, attractions, restaurants, and experiences.
 
MEDIA CONTACTS:
The Palm Beaches
PR@thepalmbeaches.com
561-233-3030