IATI Seguros clicks onto new market
A specialist Spanish travel insurer has clicked on to one of its key target markets – by sponsoring the first travel blogger prizes in Spain. David Ing reports
Held in Madrid in January to coincide with the city’s Fitur travel fair, the Premios IATI Awards are a follow up to the promotional work insurer IATI Seguros has already carried out in backing the work of what it hails as the country’s ‘best travel bloggers and influencers’.
Some entries for the competition have already been posted on the company’s own website ahead of the event, along with links to the main social media platforms where they can be viewed.
IATI’s roots date back to way before the internet or even much of modern transport was dreamed of. It has passed through four generations of the same family since it was founded in 1885, ‘when journeys were made solely by ship’.
“We like to think of ourselves as a company with soul, even though we now sell much of our insurance through the internet,” said CEO Alfonso Calzado Desvalls.
That slogan led to the company supporting the launch of Spain’s inaugural Travel Blogger Forum, an event which celebrated its second annual gathering at the southern town of Puerto de Santa Maria in October 2018.
According to IATI, the aim is to help ‘promote responsible tourism and the protection of the environment’. But it also recognises the gathering as a good way to reach out to young tech-savvy travellers as they make preparations for their journeys.
Sponsorship of the forum proved a natural lead in to hosting the Premios IATI and its goal of ‘recognising excellence in the digital communication of travel’.
Prize money at the inaugural ceremony totaled €9,000, with the top €3,000 prize for the best professional blog being picked by a five-person jury that included travel journalists, internet experts and Calzado Desvalls.
A further four winners took home €1,500 each for categories that covered the best ‘revelation’ blog, the best channels on Youtube and Instagram, and a special prize selected to exemplify the ‘best in traveler values’.