In 2004, the Spanish State Secretary for Tourism and Trade gave Linares the National Trade Award.
Linares won the prize because of the promotion of its commercial network. The different actions carried out favoured the development of large commercial investments, which provoked an increased employment and the upgrade of the existing commerce in the area. That consolidated Linares as the main city in the area.
In December, 2008 the Andalusian Confederation of People with Disabilities granted Linares the “CANF DE ORO” for being one of the City Councils that were most committed with accessibility in the province of Jaén. The prize was awarded due to the constant improvements made in the accessibility field, since the city opted for a healthy, accessible and welcoming city that would also bring an economical development.
During the 10th Inland Andalusian Tourism Fair “Tierra Adentro” 2010, the winners were awarded these prizes that since 1997 have been granted to personalities and organisations that help to spread and promote the province beyond its boundaries.
The recognition of the Intercontinental Chess Tournament Ciudad de Linares is motivated by the prestige and quality of that event, “the most important in its category.” “This tournament, which has also taken place in Mexico, has allowed the most important figures in this sport to gather in Linares as well as turned the city, and hence the province, into one of the main events in the world chess calendar.”
Linares won the architectural contest “PUT AN END TO BARRIERS” promoted by the pharmaceutical company Novartis in collaboration with FCC and Santa&Cole, and endorsed by SEN, FELEM and the Ministry of Public Works.
With more than 8,000 votes registered in the website www.cortaconlasbarreras.com, Linares and its project “Old Madrid Railway Station Park” defeated the other four cities (Oleiros (La Coruña), Palma de Mallorca, Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) and Vélez-Málaga) that were chosen among tens of projects. They were selected by a jury made of representatives from different areas of the public administration, important scientific societies of multiple sclerosis, patient associations related to the disease and adviser experts of urban accessibility.
Thanks to that prize it was possible to create an accessible itinerary that currently allows the integration of emblematic places of the city, as for example the Old Madrid Railway Station, The Mining Interpretation Centre and the Botanical Garden.
The Andalusian Regional Government gave on 22nd February, 2013 in the assembly hall of the University of Jaén, the Flags that they annually grant on the Andalusian Day. This institutional ceremony is part of the schedule in the province during the 28th February.
The innovation Project of the Andalusian Centre of Iberian Archaeology FÓRUM MMX: CÁSTULO&LINARES has been recognised for the advances in the historical knowledge about the site and its international promotion. This initiative shows the great patrimonial value of Cástulo, with the example of the discovery, last summer, of a Roman mosaic from the late-1st or early-2nd century, considered by National Geographic as one of the greatest discoveries in 2012.
Linares obtained the prize to the Excellence in the Tourist Management in the Andalusian Tourism Awards 2013.
The candidacy of Linares was put forward by the provincial office of the Tourism Department as considering that the city “has promoted a touristic model with the creation of infrastructures and aspects such as the promotion and commercialisation, always considering the accessibility as the main point in the local development strategy.” A sample of this has been the recent admission of Linares as member of the European Destinations of Excellence.
This award grants the commitment of the city to the meetings and congresses tourism, industrial or gastronomic ones, which, as far as the jury is concerned, “promotes the consolidation of Andalusia as a specialised and quality destination. It also contributes to the differentiation of the Andalusian tourist industry through innovation and new technology, as the ones used in the Raphael Museum and Los Lores’ Mine which will be available soon.”
Linares’ attempt to turn itself into a complete accessible destination has also been awarded. In order to achieve that, the City Council’s web pages (www.ciudaddelinares.es y www.turismolinares.es) have been adapted through the “Inclusite” tool to get an accessible navigation for everyone. The jury has exalted “the use of on-line marketing tools, the promotion of the destination on the internet and social networks or the creation of guides and resources using geo-positioning technologies and augmented reality in mobile phones through applications.”
Her majesty Queen Sofía is the Honourable President of the Royal Patronage Council about Disability, an independent organism whose main aim is to promote the prevention of deficiencies, the rehabilitation and the social insertion of people with disabilities.
To promote and improve the prevention of deficiencies, attention to people with disabilities as well as their personal development and social consideration, the QUEEN SOFÍA AWARDS have been established so as to compensate the continued works carried out in the following fields:
- prevention of disability
- rehabilitation and integration
- universal accessibility to cities
- promotion of the employability of people with disabilities
Linares has been awarded in the category of UNIVERSAL ACCESIBILITY TO CITIES BETWEEN 10,001 AND 100,000 inhabitants.
The work in favour of the accessibility made in the city during the last six years has been the reason why Linares has obtained this well-deserved prize.
The mayor of Linares took the 9th Andalusian Award to the best practices in attention to people with disabilities given by the Equality, Welfare and Social Politics Department of the Andalusian Regional Government, in the category of “Promotion of the Universal Accessibility and Inclusive Design.”
The mayor highlighted the on-going attempt and the implication of all the Departments to turn Linares into a culturally accessible city, in which exists a commitment and real awareness since the last years.
The 21st March, 2014 the Senate gave the annual prizes Ponle Freno organised by the TV channel Antena3, whose ceremony was hosted by Matías Prats. Prizes are divided in four categories: ‘Citizen Ponle Freno’, ‘AXA Award to the Innovation in Road Safety Education’, ‘Ponle Freno Junior’ and ‘Best Practice in Road Safety Education’.
The City Council of Linares obtained the prize PONLE FRENO of Antena3 in the ‘Junior’ category thanks to the local contest which is organised in the city for the local educational centres and in which students’ initiatives to improve Road Safety Education are awarded. “A very well organised initiative”, according to Antena3.
Cope Radio Station gives, for the third consecutive year, the awards “Jaén en Positivo” which were born with the intention to recognise the work of those people and institutions that with their efforts, work and examples, show that it is possible to improve the reality which is around us and overcome discouragement with a positive attitude.
For this reason, in the TOURISM category, Linares was awarded by its project “Linares Imagina más” which joins in an attractive offer to the visitor the Archaeological Site of Cástulo, the Archaeological Museum, the Raphael Museum, the Andrés Segovia House-Museum and El Pósito.