By Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Editorial from CruisesNews magazine no. 44 – March 2018
Once again, we celebrated the Excellence Cruise Awards gala. This was the 11th edition, held in the truly luxurious setting of the Paraninfo (Great Hall) of the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering in Cartagena, aided by the wonderful weather we always enjoy in that region. It was a real pleasure to gather all of us who are part of the cruise industry in such a festive and relaxed atmosphere.
Every self-respecting industry has its own awards ceremony: the Oscars, the Goyas, BAFTAs, Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, or, in the tourism sector, the World Travel Market Awards, for example. Most of these awards are the result of votes from their own members, but the main objective is to showcase available products to the public and promote them in cinemas, theaters, and on television, accelerating and boosting their consumption.
It is very important to have industry-specific awards to guide consumers through the wide range of products available to them, and also because they motivate companies to improve and help them highlight their strengths.
This sector boasts numerous awards in key cruise passenger markets, bestowed by publications and passenger forums that recognize cruise lines and their products, and in many cases, their service providers. It's an important marketing and communication tool, and in some cases, it provides the opportunity to organize a more or less glamorous gala, where consumers can gain valuable insights to consider when making future decisions.
The Excellence Awards were established in 2008 and have grown year after year, solidifying their reputation. We don't organize these awards to demonstrate our organizational or organizational capabilities, nor to reward our clients. We do it so that passengers can express their experiences, as they are the true experts who vote based on their priorities. And we also do it so that companies can showcase their strengths and virtues to the public, differentiating themselves from their competitors.
Therefore, I would like to thank once again all the institutions and sponsors who support us year after year and provide us with the necessary resources so that we can all continue to organize and enjoy these awards for many more years.
