Dominican Tourism Press Association 2018 Introduces Innovative Changes to Annual Award

Santo Domingo, September 17, 2018 – The Dominican Tourism Press Association (Adompretur) presented the jury that will oversee the works submitted to its annual Epifanio Lantigua Tourism Award. The members of the jury will represent the journalism, academic and intellectual sectors, as well as representatives from the tourism industry.
This year, the award will include the following categories: online and written press, magazines, television documentaries and special reports, photography, tourism news from the country’s north coast, gastronomy and tourism, and a new category which will include the arts and culture. A special award will be issued for the first time to a specific media outlet that has significantly contributed to the development of the tourism industry.
This year, the annual journalism contest will celebrate its 15th anniversary. The 2018 head of the journalism award will be José María Reyes, explained current jury president José Rafael Sosa. Also, new members will participate in the jury such as veteran journalist Napoleón de La Cruz, press director of the Ministry of Tourism, and José Antonio Aybar, Arts editor of the afternoon daily El Nacional.
Other jury members are renowned Dominican poet José Marmol, current vice president of Public Relations for the Banco Popular Dominicano; Millizen Uribe, past recipient of the Grand Award and editor of the online version of morning daily HOY; Andrés Marranzini, executive vice president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores); Adriano de La Cruz, president of the Dominican College of Journalists; José Rafael Vargas, journalist and current Senator of Espaillat Province; Rodolfo Coiscou Duvergé, dean of the Autonomous University’s School of Communications; and Roberto Henríquez, president of the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo.
Also, Marivel Contreras, journalist and past president of the Association of Art Critics (Acroarte); Luis Felipe Aquino, dean of the Tourism School of APEC University; Cesar Pérez, sociologist, writer and INTEC University professor; Bolívar Troncoso, expert in eco-tourism and director of the Tourism School of O & M University; Simón Suárez, vice president of the Puntacana Group and Asonahores past president, and Tony Pérez, investigative journalist and Autonomous University professor.
Adompretur president Luis José Chávez explained that in its 15 years of existence, the Epifanio Lantigua Award has contributed to positively change the existing relationship between the tourism industry and the local media outlets with Dominican society.
Chávez also said that the Award was first issued in Puerto Plata in 2003, as an initiative of Occidental Hotels under the coordination of Manuel Quiterio Cedeño, head of CICOM, a public relations company specializing in the tourism industry, and Manuel Emilio Gilbert, a regional journalist. Beginning in 2007 the award became a national award, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Occidental Hotels and other companies linked to the industry.
In this year’s award ceremony, the following entities will co-sponsor the event: the Ministry of Tourism, Banco Popular Dominicano, Barceló Hotels, Dominican Aviation Institute (IDAC), Air Europa, ASONAHORES, Santo Domingo Hotel Association, Puntacana Group, INICIA Group, Viva Wyndham hotel chain, the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), Adrian Tropical restaurants and the Fundación el Artístico.
Jose María Reyes presented the members of the jury, who highlighted the diversity, professional quality and merits of the individuals who will choose the winning entries.
Reyes indicated that the articles submitted must have been written between October 15, 2017 and September 30, 2018. The deadline for submission is October 3, 2018, and should be deposited at the Adompretur offices.
Journalist Millizen Uribe delivered remarks in the name of all the participating jurors. She explained the evaluation process that the jury will use to evaluate the stories presented in each category.
Mr. Esteban Martínez Murga, head of the Banco Popular’s Corporate Communications Office, represented poet José Mármol during the event.
The event was held at the new Malecón 7 Restaurant, owned by gastronomic entrepreneur Luis Marino López.