Congratulations to the 28th Annual Providencia Award winner!
The Providencia Award is given annually to a local business, organization or individual based on their extraordinary contributions (i.e. expansion of facilities, new events and outstanding business levels) to the vitality and prosperity of The Palm Beaches as a tourist destination. The Providencia Award is named after the Spanish ship that sank off Palm Beach’s coast in the 1880s. 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.
Following an application process completed by 16 award nominees, a committee of local tourism representatives selected the three finalists. Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Grandview Public Market and Palm Beach Outlets were this year's finalists. The public then cast online votes over a three week period on The Palm Beach Post’s website.
“These finalists for the prestigious award are all outstanding entities in our local tourism community,” said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO for DTPB. “With a resort, a food hall and an outlet shopping mall, you see a varied representation of what helps our destination offer 'something for everyone.' We're motivated to recognize these industry partners, because they're a direct reflection of what makes The Palm Beaches the perfect place to visit. We congratulate each of these businesses.”
On May 10, 2019 during Discover The Palm Beaches' Travel Rally Day, Palm Beach Outlets was named the 28th Annual Providencia Award winner.
General Information about the Providencia Award:
Who qualifies for the Providencia Award nomination?
Nominations can be based on several criteria:
- Must be a resident of, or business/organization located in Palm Beach County, employed or otherwise associated with tourism, travel or hospitality industries.
- The organization or individual must do business in Palm Beach County.
- No elected officials or employees of Palm Beach County, Discover The Palm Beaches, Tourist Development Council, Cultural Council, Film Commission, Sports Commission or its independent contractors may be nominated.
What is the general process of the Providencia Award?
Discover The Palm Beaches requests that nominations be submitted over a three week period in late February for the work that was done to promote visitation to The Palm Beaches in the previous year. Anyone can nominate a local business, organization or individual. All nominations are then reviewed by DTPB's Providencia Committee, a committee of tourism and hospitality industry professionals, who evaluate all the submissions that come in and narrow down the list to the final three candidates. Criteria is based on their extraordinary contributions (i.e. expansion of facilities, new events and outstanding business levels) to the vitality and prosperity of The Palm Beaches as a tourist destination. The public is then invited to select the Annual Providencia Award winner by voting online.
To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit here.
Past Providencia Award Winners
1989 – Burt Reynolds
1990 – Delta Air Lines
1991 – Chris Evert
1992 – Jack Nicklaus
1993 – Alex W. Dreyfoos, Jr.
1994 – Flagler Museum
1995 – SunFest
1996 – E Llwyd Ecclestone, Jr.
1997 – The Breakers Palm Beach
1998 – Boca Raton Resort & Club
1999 – Colin Wright
2000 – Ken Foster
2001 – John Temple
2002 – Nancy Graham
2003 – Norton Museum of Art
2004 – Patrick J. Rooney, Sr.
2005 – South Florida Fair
2006 – Moroso Motorsports
2007 – None
2008 – Ritz Carlton, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Marathon of the Palm Beaches (3 winners)
2009 – The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach and Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (2 winners)
2010 – Delray Beach International Tennis Championships
2011 – James Ponce
2012 – None
2013 – International Polo Club
2014 – The Honda Classic
2015 – Loggerhead Marinelife Center
2016 – Lion Country Safari
2017 – Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society
David Burke Partner of the Year Awards
Another means to reaffirm and celebrate the destination’s hospitality community at Travel Rally Day was through DTPB’s 3rd David Burke Annual Partner of the Year Awards. These awards recognize tourism organizations within the accommodation and non-accommodation categories, whose commendable efforts help DTPB achieve its mission, vision and brand promise by implementing innovative marketing programs and participation in destination programs.
Our annual Partner of the Year Award has been recently renamed, in 2019, the David Burke Partner of the Year Award, in honor of former chair and longtime supporter of DTPB David Burke. Dave was a champion for the hospitality and tourism industry, having been a mentor to countless individuals as well as serving the as the president of the Palm Beach Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, as the former vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council and chairman of Discover The Palm Beaches. He was a permanent fixture in forums that shaped the tourism industry of our county for more than two decades and generously supported DTPB's sales and marketing initiatives.
He was the epitome of a true Partner amongst this community. Dave Burke always helped to support, advocate and grow the hospitality and tourism industry in Palm Beach County.
Nominees in the accommodations category included Boca Raton Resort & Club and Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Nominees in the non-accommodations category included Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, Island Living Tour, Manatee Lagoon, Related Co., and Shoppe 561.
David Burke Partner of the Year Award Winners
Travel Rally Day - The Importance of Travel
Travel Rally Day culminated the 36th annual National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), America's annual salute to travel and tourism. NTTW serves to champion the power of the tourism industry. This year, the travel industry has come together to celebrate why “Travel Matters,” spotlighting a different way travel matters each day to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being.
1) Travel Matters for NEW EXPERIENCES - Traveling remains central to exploring new experiences-from enjoying our national parks to visiting new cities, all of which create lifelong enthusiasts. In fact, 76 percent of employed Americans say a firsthand experience is instrumental in forming impressions of a community.
2) Travel Matters to our JOBS - Travel supported 15.7 million U.S. jobs in 2018- making travel the seventh largest employer in the private sector.
3) Travel Matters for KEEPING AMERICA CONNECTED - Staying connected to the world and each other is the foundation of our communities and necessary for growing travel-both domestic and international.
4) Travel Matters to HEALTH -Vacation can reduce stress, improve heart health and create a stronger connection with loved ones-improving your overall wellbeing. After a vacation, employees feel rested and recharged when they return back to the office.
5) Travel Matters to HOMETOWN PRIDE - Thank you to everyone who made it out to Travel Rally Day today. We appreciated your participation in celebrating these wonderful achievements. You make us hometown proud!
In Florida, tourism is the number one economic driver. In 2018, the state welcomed 126.1 million visitors – that's 8 years of consecutive record visitation. In The Palm Beaches, tourism is a top economic driver that welcomed more than 8.02 million visitors in 2018. That's 10 years of consecutive increased visitation!
The record-high 8.02 million visitors to The Palm Beaches in 2018 generated more than $7 billion economic impact in the community. As one of the top industries in Palm Beach County, tourism supports more than 70,000 jobs in The Palm Beaches.
To learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week, visit https://www.ustravel.org/events/national-travel-and-tourism-week.