Congratulations to the 27th Annual Providencia Award winner!
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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 twelve award nominees, a committee of local tourism representatives selected three finalists. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, The Brazilian Court Hotel and Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society were this year's finalists. The public thencast online votes over a three week period on The Palm Beach Post’s website. “These three finalists are outstanding examples of the world-class tourism assets that make The Palm Beaches such a desirable destination – they all embody excellence in our community,” said Jorge Pesquera, presidentand CEO for Discover The Palm Beaches. On May 11, 2018 during Discover The Palm Beaches' Travel Rally Day, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society was named the 27th Annual Providencia Award winner. “The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a high-quality wildlife attraction, which annually brings more than 100,000 out-of-town visitors to the county,” Pesquera added. “This entire destination is able to attract a record-breaking number of visitors every year, thanks in great measure to attractions like this. We congratulate the board, management and community supporters of the Zoo for this achievement, and are proud to present them with the publicly-chosen Providencia Award for its contribution to our tourism industry” Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Travel Rally Day + Providencia Award at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County |
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 to them. Anyone can nominate a local business, organization or individual. All nominations will be reviewed by DTPB's Providencia Committee, a committee of tourism and hospitality industry professionals, who evaluates 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 27th 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
Partner of the Year Awards
Another means to reaffirm and celebrate the destination’s hospitality community at Travel Rally Day was through DTPB’s 2nd 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.
Nominees in the accommodations category included Boca Raton Resort & Club, The Breakers Palm Beach, and the DoubleTree By Hilton PGA, and Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Nominees in the non-accommodations category included The Flagler Museum, Free Ride, Palm Beach Outlets and the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society.
Partner of the Year Award Winners
Travel Rally Day - The Importance of Travel
Travel Rally Day culminates the 35th annual National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), America's annual salute to travel and tourism. The annual tradition brings industry professionals together to highlight the value of travel and consider the broad impact it holds for communities across the country. This year’s theme, Travel Then and Now, is all about celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel community over the course of the last several decades.
The record-high 7.89 million visitors to The Palm Beaches in 2017 generated a $7.1 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.