Discover The Palm Beaches, the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, hosted more than 100 industry representatives from the travel and tourism community to celebrate Travel Rally Day at the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum last Friday, May 11. At this year’s event, the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society was awarded with the 27th annual Providencia Award, and the DTPB Partner Awards recognized The Breakers Palm Beach in the accommodations category, as well as the Flagler Museum in the non-accommodations category.
Travel Rally Day culminated the 35th annual National Travel and Tourism Week, America’s annual salute to travel and tourism. NTTW serves to champion the power of the tourism industry. This year, the U.S. Travel Association’s theme was “Then and Now,” which celebrated the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel community over the last several decades.
The Providencia Award is given annually by DTPB to a local business, organization or individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary contribution to the vitality and prosperity of The Palm Beaches as a desirable tourist destination. The winners are chosen by popular vote from the public. Nominees this year included the following: Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, The Brazilian Court Hotel, and the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society.
“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,” said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO for DTPB. “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.”
“As the second-most visited cultural attraction in The Palm Beaches, we have entertained and educated over 10 million guests for nearly 50 years,” said Naki Carter, the Zoo’s head of communications and public relations. “Approximately one-third of over 331,000 guests who visited us in 2017 were from outside the county. This win is a wild way to kick off our upcoming 50th anniversary next year.”
Another means to honor the destination’s hospitality community was through DTPB’s 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, DoubleTree By Hilton PGA, and Eau Palm Beach. Nominees in the non-accommodations category included the Flagler Museum, Free Ride, Palm Beach Outlets, and Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society.
The record-high 7.89 million visitors to The Palm Beaches in 2017 generated a $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.
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Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society Wins Providencia Award. Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society was awarded with the 27th annual Providencia Award by Discover The Palm Beaches, the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County.