President Luis Abinader officially inaugurated the Gabriel Escarrer Juliá Hospitality and Tourism School on Monday, 2 March 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country’s public-private educational partnerships.
The new training center is located within the Meliá Caribe Beach Resort and Meliá Punta Cana Beach complex in the Verón-Punta Cana municipal district. Operating under a “hotel-school” model, the facility was established through a strategic agreement between the National Institute of Vocational and Technical Training (Infotep), the country’s government-operated vocational training entity, and Meliá Hotels International.
During the ceremony, which coincided with the 91st anniversary of the birth of Meliá founder Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, President Abinader emphasized that the success of Dominican tourism rests on the quality of its human capital. “Tourism is sustained by prepared human capital,” the President stated, noting that the school will professionalize services in the country’s most vital economic sector.
Meliá Hotels provided the land, physical facilities, and specialized equipment, while Infotep, manages the academic curriculum and teaching staff. The school features 11 technical classrooms and is equipped to train up to 800 students annually. The programs include culinary arts, mixology, hotel reception, housekeeping, maintenance, English language, and information technology.
During the inauguration, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, praised the Dominican Republic as a global reference for public-private collaboration, stating there was “no better place” to honor his father’s legacy.
Melia Hotels was one of only the third European companies to open in the Punta Cana area, after Club Med and Barcelo Bavaro.
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Presidency
Listin Diario
3 March 2026