Tourism’s finest
The tourism industry’s best gathered recently for the 27th SKAL Tourism Personality Awards at the New World Makati Hotel where our Newsmakers and Allure sections assistant editor Büm Tenorio Jr. received an award under the Newspaper Lifestyle Travel and Tourism category.
The SKAL Tourism Personality Awards, in conjunction with the 36th founding anniversary of SKAL International Makati, led by SKAL’s newly appointed president Jaime Bautista and SKAL Awards chairman Robert “Bobby” Joseph, honors individuals who excelled not just in tourism but also in their respective fields to be catalysts of growth in the Philippine tourism and travel industries.
Büm, honored for his award-winning column
New Beginnings, said in his acceptance speech, “To travel is to walk into the footsteps of the divine. And when we talk of the divine, gratitude is not far from behind.”
SKAL is a professional organization of tourism leaders around the world promoting global tourism and friendship. SKAL is a Scandinavian acronym for
Sundhet, Karlek, Alder and Lycka, which means health, love, long life and happiness.
Other awardees included Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and LCS Group of Companies president and CEO Chavit
Singson for the success of Miss Universe 2016; Marriott Hotel Manila general manager
Bruce Winton, International Hotel category; Henann Group of Resort chairman Henry
Chusuey, Hotel Resort category; Campuestohan Island Resort’s Ricardo Tan, Resort Theme Park and Hotel category; Travel Warehouse Inc.’s Jaison Yang, Outbound Travel and Tour Operator category; STI West Negros Bacolod dean Gina Montes, Tourism Education Personality category; KidZania Manila’s
Cookie Bartolome, Family Entertainment category; GlobalLink MP Events International’s
Jing Lagandaon, MICE category; Blue Horizons Travel’s
Gregor Zajc, Inbound Travel and Tour Operator category; PAL Express’ Bonifacio
Sam, Airline category; ABSCBN’s Laurenti Dyogi, Media Personality of the Year; and journalist Deedee Siytangco, Hall of Fame in Journalism.
This year’s SKAL awarding was done in partnership with Philippine Airlines, Department of Tourism, PAGCOR, Tourism Promotions Board and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
Congratulations to SKAL awardees!