Palma de Mallorca, 2012-11-15 — /travelprnews.com/ — Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, Chairman and founder of Meliá Hotels International, has been awarded the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Lifetime Achievement, in recognition of a whole life of work and devotion to the hospitality industry.
Jointly with Mr. Escarrer, the Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, Mr. Shao Qiwei, have been named as the first winners of this new category within the frame of the Ulysses Awards, with which the WTO aims to value those individuals that have represented an excelence model and an inspiration for this important industry – that provides the 5% of the Gross International Product.
More specifically, the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Mr. Taleb Rifai, explained that “This award recognizes Mr. Escarrer´s leadership and vision in promoting a responsible Tourism sector. Gabriel Escarrer established Meliá Hotels International in 1956 at the age of 21, a hotel chain which is today one of the largest in the World, sharing the benefits of Tourism with his employees and society”.
In addition to his business expertise, the panel of judges praised Mr. Escarrer for his pioneering work in corporate social responsibility at a time that this was far from most business person’s minds, particularly his early commitment to employee working conditions.
Gabriel Escarrer opened his first hotel in Mallorca in 1956, taking advantage of the boom in tourism in Spain in the 1960s to create wealth and jobs. Almost 56 years later, the company he founded has managed to become the first Spanish hotel company to operate in key markets such as China, the Persian Gulf or the United States, while maintaining its clear leadership in Spain and Latin America. Meliá Hotels International, with more than 350 hotels in 35 countries, continues to share the vision of its founder, backed by a family with strong corporate values that support a company focused on service excellence. This UNWTO´s distinction makes the founder of Meliá to become an even more relevant figure within the International Tourism Entrepreneurial field.
As Mr. Escarrer himself explained after knowing that he had been awarded: My success belongs to the more than 36.000 people from our staff that work day after day to make it possible, and it belongs to my family as well, for they have always supported me in the good and also, in the bad times: I am positive that without them, I would not be where I am today”.
The important contribution of Gabriel Escarrer to the travel industry has been recognized on numerous occasions: Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of the Balearic Islands, “Best Entrepreneur in Construction and Real Estate” “Hotelier of the Year” (by the U.S. magazine Hotels), selected to join the exclusive “Hall of Fame” of the British Travel Industry, amongst other acknowledgements, he has been lately recognized several times for his Lifetime Achievement, by different prestigious organizations, such as the recent “ Worldwide Hospitality Award for Lifetime Achievement” awarded this week in Paris, at an event that an event which brought together the best of the French Tourism Industry.
Contact:
Communications Department – Meliá Hotels International
971 22 44 64
comunicacion@melia.com
www.solmelia.com
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