Bohío magazine’s content editor wins international journalism prize in Panama

Santo Domingo.– Bohío’s content editor Adrian R. Morales González received in Panama City the “Lifetime Achievement” award at the international tourism journalism prize “Open Passport 2018,” presented by the World Travel Journalism Organization (WJTO) and the Latin American Tourism Journalists Alliance.

The prolific journalist and editor has more than 20 years’ experience to his credit, dating back to 1996 when he entered the media sector in his native Cuba. There, he won several journalistic awards and was recognized by the Latin American news agency Prensa Latina as the first print journalist to report the discovery of the “black family” of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso on the neighboring island.

Upon arriving in the Dominican Republic, he joined both print and digital media and worked as a staff writer for the online newspaper Dominican Today and as an editor for various magazines, including Mercado, Refugios, Cayena, SDQ, Deleite and Cap Cana The Magazine.

In 2008, Adrian Morales joined the specialized tourism media group Ediciones Cabrer as content editor of Bohío magazine and the La Cotica National Tourism Guide of the Dominican Republic, which, along with the regional maps “Find Yourself,” forms part of the promotional material used at international tourism fairs and events attended by the Dominican delegation and as support for the Tourism Promotion Offices (OPT) that the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) sponsors in more than 25 cities worldwide.

After receiving the award from Lilia Lara Compeán, OMPT director for Mexico, Morales expressed his gratitude for the distinction and jokingly suggested that the organizers include a category called “Open Visa” in future editions to honor tourism journalists who face daunting hurdles when applying for visas to attend press events. “There should be more flexibility in the visa process for tourism journalists. Not everyone, for example, holds a U.S. visa that allows travel to a wide range of countries,” he said.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by Panama’s Tourism Ministry, featured a gala at the Hilton Garden Inn in Panama City, where 13 categories were recognized. Mexico won the Open Passport Grand Prize—awarded to the Hidalgo Secretary of Tourism—a destination that also received the award for “Responsible Destination.” At the end of the gala, it was announced that Hidalgo will host the 2019 edition in October.

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Editor’s note: Adrian R. Morales was instrumental in achieving Dominican Today’s presence of nearly 14 years. Our heartfelt congratulations.