Meliá Hotels International Recognised for Its Commitment to Employment Inclusion at the Diversity and Inclusion Awards

Meliá Hotels International has been honoured with the award for Best Practice in Employment Inclusion at the 9th Diversity and Inclusion Awards, organised by the Adecco Foundation and the Excellence in Sustainability Club and presented today at Spain’s Congress of Deputies. The award recognises Meliá’s contribution to “Urdimbre. Challenges Towards Employment”, an initiative launched by the Canary Islands Government to support the social and professional integration of formerly unaccompanied migrant young people under state care, one of the groups facing the greatest barriers to accessing the labour market.

The partnership between the Canary Islands Government, the Fuerteventura Island Council and Meliá Hotels International has been instrumental in bringing this initiative to life. By combining the resources, expertise and capabilities of public institutions and private enterprise, the programme has delivered an effective response to a complex social challenge while also helping address the growing demand for talent across the Canary Islands tourism sector.

Thanks to this initiative, more than 100 young people have already joined the workforce at Meliá’s three hotels in Fuerteventura, as well as at Meliá La Palma. Participants work in key operational areas including kitchens, food & beverage service, housekeeping and maintenance, where they have access to genuine opportunities for learning, professional development and long-term career growth within the company.

Alongside employment, one of the programme’s fundamental pillars is comprehensive support and guidance. Before joining the hotels, participants receive basic hospitality and language training at reception centres. Once at Meliá, they continue their development through tailored training programmes, ongoing mentoring and support from hotel teams and managers, helping to provide the personal stability needed to build a successful professional future.

To date, 20% of participants have successfully completed a development pathway and progressed within the company, demonstrating the long-term potential of an initiative designed to create sustainable opportunities.

Many of these young people arrived in Spain without a family support network and faced significant obstacles to entering the labour market. Through the programme, they now have employment, professional experience and greater personal stability, as well as the tools needed to build an independent future. Their gradual social and professional integration, together with the personal growth and confidence gained throughout the process, stand as the clearest evidence of the initiative’s success.

As Gabriel Cánaves, Chief Human Resources Officer of Meliá Hotels International, stated when accepting the award today:

The most valuable aspect of this project is its ability to turn job opportunities into life opportunities and to demonstrate that inclusion is not only an act of social responsibility; it is also a smart decision for businesses and for society as a whole.

The project reflects the essence of Travel for Good, Meliá’s vision for advancing a model of tourism that creates value wherever it operates and contributes to the progress of people and destinations.

Through six award categories and two honorary distinctions, the Diversity and Inclusion Awards have recognised companies that place diversity and inclusion at the heart of their corporate strategy, driving positive change both within their organisations and across society.

The awards ceremony was opened by Enrique Sánchez, President of the Adecco Foundation, who highlighted that:

Meeting the challenges of our time requires vision, commitment and perseverance, qualities that the award-winning companies have demonstrated through high-impact projects that strengthen business competitiveness while contributing to human and social development. The future of our companies and our society depends, to a great extent, on these decisions. Thanks to this leadership, we can make a more inclusive, competitive and human-centred way of doing business a reality.