We are all aware of our industry’s staffing shortage and we are also aware of the refugee crisis prompted by conflicts around the world. This week both Marriott & Hilton announced they would step up their efforts to assist refugees by hiring them. Marriott & Hilton are among numerous other industry companies and organizations that have assisted refugees in recent years.
Aiding those fleeing their own countries is critical currently. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are currently more than 27 million refugees worldwide. Nearly 8 million from Ukraine have been recorded in neighboring countries and across Europe. At the end of 2022, 52 percent of the world’s refugee population came from Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.
On June 20, World Refugee Day, Marriott announced it has committed to hiring more than 1,500 refugees throughout its European region by 2026. This follows its commitment to hire over 1,500 refugees by 2025 in the United States.
“At Marriott International, we believe in being a force for good and making a positive and sustainable impact in the communities where we do business,” said Marriott President and CEO Anthony Capuano. “Across Europe, this has included support for refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war. Our focus on creating job opportunities has already led to over 970 refugees hired across dozens of our hotels in the European region.”
Careers Site Launched
Some Marriott hotels are providing recently resettled refugee employees with resources and tailored support, such as on-site translators, prayer rooms, and assistance with navigating public transportation. Building on its hiring commitment, Marriott launched a careers site to showcase opportunities for refugees looking to apply for positions in the U.S.
Marriott recently highlighted the journey of cousins Ehsanullah Safi and Shah Faisal Safi and their families. The Safis left Afghanistan in August of 2021 and are now associates at the Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ. Marriott also shared Lidia Tomshivska’s story, a native of Ukraine who fled to Germany and began working at the Leipzig Marriott Hotel. In just over a year, she has become nearly fluent in German and is enrolling in hospitality school.
Hilton Adds to Refugee Hiring in Europe
Also on World Refugee Day, Hilton announced its commitment to hire an additional 1,500 refugees across Europe. Hilton made the announcement alongside the Tent Partnership for Refugees as part of the Tent Foundation European Business Summit, which took place in Paris on June 19.
As a longtime partner of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, Hilton became the first hospitality company to join Tent in 2018, supporting its overall efforts in creating employment pathways for underrepresented groups including refugees, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, as well as military veterans and their families.
“Hilton was founded with the purpose to spread the light and warmth of hospitality—to be a beacon of hope and engine of opportunity. Part of this commitment is to create career pathways for all,” said Laura Fuentes, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hilton. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Tent to hire 1,500 refugees over the next three years at our hotels across Europe and embrace the contributions of this diverse and skilled talent pool among our workforces.”
Since 2015, Hilton has positively impacted 78,588 refugees through volunteering, in-kind donations, purchasing, training, shelter, and employment. Since 2022, Hilton has hired more than 400 refugees across 73 hotels in EMEA. Through partnerships with local refugee organizations, community-based initiatives, and dedicated recruitment programs, Hilton also provides refugees with training, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities. These efforts are guided by Hilton’s Travel With Purpose strategy, through which Hilton has committed to create 5 million learning and career growth opportunities for unrepresented groups military veterans and their families, refugees, and youth worldwide.
Search on “refugee” on Green Lodging News to learn about additional refugee assistance efforts.
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