The fourth edition of Coming Up!, organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, consolidates Spain as a world reference in tourism.
In an exclusive interview, Ana Alonso Bohoyo, CEO of SIE, shares her vision and the objectives behind these prestigious awards. Ana talks to us about the importance of recognising companies and people who, although they do not belong to the tourism sector, represent Spain in an outstanding way abroad, positively influencing the global perception of our country. She also explains how these awards were born out of the need to highlight the authenticity and quality of our traditions and products.
The SIE awards are in recognition of companies or individuals who represent the Spain brand in an excellent way beyond our borders. Their main purpose is to recognise the efforts of these entities, as their work has a direct impact on the image of our country and, therefore, on the quality traveller we seek to attract.
At SIE, our main purpose is to attract a quality traveller who understands our culture at its most authentic. This is where the SIE Awards for Excellence came from, because we understood that there are many companies and public people who represent this brand and this goal of authenticity that we consider crucial.
These awards recognise those who contribute directly to improving the image of our country and attracting quality travellers, valuing not only commercial success, but also commitment to the culture and values that make us unique.
Our main purpose at SIE, Spain Is Excellence, is to attract a quality traveller to Spain. An important part of this is the recognition of our country through companies positioned and working in other countries. This has a direct impact on how our country is seen in all its dimensions: gastronomic, business, artistic... these positive influences help us to welcome this type of traveller.
We want our award winners to be ambassadors of these values so that others can compare themselves and strive for these goals. In this way, we ensure that the excellence of our country is understood and that those who visit us respect and appreciate our culture.
"Our country is excellent and these awards are a way to raise awareness about the work of these values.
All corporate sectors and segments directly affect a country's image. We believe that these awards fill a need to recognise that all these lines of business, from gastronomy to fashion to corporate culture, affect tourism very directly. That is why we felt it was necessary to create these awards.
SIE represents our values: yes to Spain, yes to excellence, yes to the extraordinary, yes to ethics, yes to education and yes to enthusiasm. Our partners and awardees reflect these core values and represent Spain in the best possible way.
In the morning we closed the previous year at the Bless Hotel, meeting with our members to share knowledge of the club itself. We believe that among our 54 current members is the knowledge about tourism and excellence in Spain. We will work on networking so that we can all help each other.
"We would like to thank our sponsors who make this event possible. To Club Alma, Becom, Inspiring Soho, The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife-Abama y The Arc Collection. Thanks also to the Vicky's Dream Foundation, with whom we collaborate in the fight against childhood cancer. Their support is invaluable to us.
The fourth edition of Coming Up!, organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, consolidates Spain as a world reference in tourism.
From 16 to 20 September, SIE welcomed an exclusive group of six high-level agencies.
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