The Centre for Tourism Studies and Research (CETUR), in collaboration with the Institute for Galician Studies and Development (IDEGA)—both part of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)—presented awards for the best undergraduate (TFG) and master’s (TFM) final projects in the field of tourism at the Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago. The initiative was established to recognize academic work carried out at universities in Galicia that contributes to the analysis, understanding, and reflection regarding tourism activity, its challenges, and its transformations.
In this first edition, covering projects defended during the 2023–24 academic year, the award for the best undergraduate final project (TFG) went to Miguel Peña Ávila for his work, “The Potential of Olive Oil Tourism in Galicia,” submitted as part of the Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and History at the University of Vigo (UVigo). Additionally, a runner-up prize was awarded to Iago Barreiro Río and Santiago Pérez Acuña for their project, “Development and Validation of a Tool for Assessing Social Profitability in Tourism Projects: Application to the ‘Ourense Termal’ Destination,” completed within the Bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration and Management at the same university. For the 2024–2025 academic year, the award for the best undergraduate final project (TFG) was presented to Laura Prego Rodríguez for “Opportunities for Blue Tourism in Arteixo: Maritime Heritage, Surfing, and Sustainability,” submitted as part of the Bachelor’s degree in Tourism at the University of A Coruña (UDC). Meanwhile, the award for the best master’s final project (TFM) went to Cristina Huertas Gómez for her work, “Proposal for a Chatbot to Disseminate the Documentary Heritage of the Codex Calixtinus via AI,” developed as part of the Master’s degree in Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). The jury consisted of Lucrezia Lopez, Director of CETUR; Iván Meléndez Medela, Director of Tourism Competitiveness for the Galicia region; and Xosé Manuel Cao Rey, Head of the Culture, Tourism, and Language Promotion Service for the Lugo City Council—the latter two representing the Center’s Council. Also serving on the jury were María Milagros Vivel Búa, from the Department of Financial Economics and Accounting at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), and María de los Ángeles Piñeiro Antelo, from the USC Department of Geography, both representing the CETUR Scientific Committee.
Through this initiative, CETUR and IDEGA aim to foster and highlight academic research on tourism, promoting dialogue between the university and various stakeholders in the sector. At the same time, these awards help to consolidate and raise the profile of one of the Institute’s core research areas: the study of tourism and its relationship to the territorial, economic, and social development processes in Galicia. This focus strengthens the role of tourism research as a field for generating knowledge and as a tool for understanding the challenges and opportunities that tourism presents for Galicia’s development.
Next Call for Submissions
Following the success of this inaugural edition, CETUR will soon launch a new call for submissions for these awards, continuing the initiative to recognize and promote research in the field of tourism. As with the first edition, the awards are intended to recognize undergraduate and master’s degree theses produced at universities in Galicia, there by fostering research talent, the creation of knowledge, and reflection on the challenges and opportunities surrounding tourism in Galicia.
