The Latin American Travel Association (Lata) has honoured its former chair as well as a museum curator during its annual parliamentary reception at the House of Commons.
Writer and public affairs specialist Chris Pickard was inducted into the Lata Hall of Fame, for his “undisputed” contribution towards Latin American travel. He has served on the Lata committee for many years, including as chair and deputy chair, as well as being a trustee and former chair of the Lata Foundation.
Cecilia Pardo-Grau, curator of the Peru and the Andes exhibition at the British Museum, received the Lata Special Recognition Awards, recognising her work promoting the cultural and historical relevance of Peru in the UK.
Between November 2021 and February 2022, Pardo-Grau was in charge of the “Peru. A Journey in Time” exhibition at the British Museum, which attracted more than 73,000 visitors.
Furthermore, she worked closely with Promperu to curate the Peru and the Andes display that forms part of the Living and Dying Gallery at the British Museum.
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Lata also announced a partnership with Queer Destinations, to reinforce the importance of LGBTQ+ rights across Latin America.
The reception was hosted by Conservative MP Mark Menzies, chairman of the All-Party-Parliamentary-Group to Latin America, and Martin Johnson, chairman of Lata.
It brought together MPs, peers, Latin American ambassadors, diplomats, Lata members, media representatives and the wider UK travel industry to celebrate relationships between Latin America and the UK.
Johnson said: “It was great to bring everyone together again to celebrate the individuals that are significant advocates of Latin America.
“It was an honour to induct Chris Pickard into our Hall of Fame for his dedication to the region and recognise Cecilia Pardo-Grau for her incredible work which has showcased Peruvian culture and history to so many UK residents.
“We are also proud to initiate our partnership with Queer Destinations to reinforce positive change in Latin America and continue advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.”
Picture by SLB Photography shows Martin Johnson (left) with Chris Pickard.