ES+ | No.3 | 2025/2026 to hospitals, quarantine centres, and even for use by How should leadership be adapted to the latest essential workers. It was a unique experience, one generations of professionals? that I hope we never have to go through again, but it The new generations, especially millennials and Gen Zers, demonstrated a strong sense of cohesion and that our have very different values and expectations from previous values have continued to endure over the past seventy generations. We strive to exercise a more accessible and years. Having a very clear strategy has enabled us to collaborative leadership style, paying close attention to recover and emerge stronger. diversity and global issues. You should also share a mission and involve them in it. There is a big difference between a Is the family component of most Spanish companies boss and a leader: the younger generations are not looking a weakness or a strength? for bosses who give orders without listening to their ideas. It is most definitely a strength. We are fortunate to have such a strong business fabric in our country with What would Spain be without tourism? the composition it has, because let us not forget that It would not be what it is today. Tourism’s contribution to family businesses contribute a great deal of value to the key economic variables such as GDP, where we account for economy. At Meliá, we have the best of both worlds: 14%, and employment, at 12%, positions us as the structural the long-term approach that helps us implement what engine of the Spanish economy. It is one of the few sectors I consider to be a winning strategy and the solid values in which Spain can be considered a major power. Following that come from our family, while at the same time the pandemic, it has been central to economic recovery. being listed on the stock exchange brings the rigour, We have also learnt to promote tourism that is much higher transparency and professionalism that the capital quality, more sustainable, empathetic towards society and market imposes on us. In a sector like hospitality, there workers, environmentally responsible, conscientious is a family legacy and values that companies such as ours and definitely more respectful towards communities. maintain as part of their DNA, which clearly represent a competitive advantage because this culture is aligned What do you think when you see demonstrations with hospitality, with welcoming and exceeding our on our streets or graffiti opposing tourism? customers’ expectations to the greatest extent possible. It pains me deeply: it harms us and makes us less It is also positive because people are the key asset in the competitive. Tourism is blamed for consequences sector, and family businesses have, in general, always that are not attributable to it, at least not to the entire taken special care of people. Maintaining a manageable sector. The increase in mass tourism that has been company size is also very positive. encouraged over the last decade coincides with a sharp rise in the population in tourist destinations and the In a world as volatile as today’s, what are the keys to proliferation of unregulated or even illegal holiday rental leadership? models. But we all have a responsibility to make the right At times like these, effective leadership requires more diagnoses and take the appropriate measures. From our than ever a combination of human, strategic and, above sector, we want to contribute solutions to achieve a more all, adaptive skills. The example set by our founding empathetic, respectful, and positive form of tourism for president, my father, was always to put people first the local community. Exceltur promotes Tourism that and lead by example. It is essential to exercise the adds up, which involves diagnosis, planning, and a coming inspirational leadership that helps us first attract, retain together of the public and private sectors in our country. and then develop the best possible talent. Today’s inspirational leader must possess many qualities, among What are the challenges and opportunities for which the most important are a strategic vision aligned the Spanish tourism sector to become even more with a mission that inspires teams. Communication is international? also important, reaching out to people, and a certain By doing things very well in the 1960s and 1970s, degree of empathy and assertiveness, along with the Spanish holidays became an extremely successful model, adaptability to change and agility in decision-making. and we internationalised that model. We must leave Ethics, values and responsibility are definitely also a positive impact on the destinations we visit and be important, all of which are closely aligned with our respectful of the communities in which we operate. mission and, in our case, with our family values. To achieve this, public-private partnerships are a must. 31