The Warmth of Hospitality: How the Tent Programme Empowers Refugees and Local Communities
29 October, 2026 Share
“When you arrive in a new country and have to start your life from scratch, it is difficult to find a helping hand.”
These words from Megan, a Cuban professional who found employment through the Tent programme, capture a challenge many refugees and migrants face: finding a way to rebuild their lives in an unfamiliar place. A job can offer much more than income. It can open the door to stability, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Hospitality is built around making people feel welcome. That spirit can extend beyond guests to the communities surrounding hotels. Through the Tent Partnership for Refugees, businesses have an opportunity to put it into practice by opening pathways to meaningful employment.
What Is the Tent Programme?
Tent is a global network of businesses committed to connecting refugees with employment opportunities and helping companies build more inclusive workplaces.
Its approach is practical: Tent brings businesses together with local partners and organizations supporting refugees, helping employers reach candidates and create routes into work. Employment can provide a foundation for people rebuilding their lives, while businesses gain access to talent and a wider range of perspectives.
Why Inclusive Employment Matters in Hospitality
For the hotel and broader hospitality industry, embracing diversity and inclusion is far more than a corporate responsibility – it reflects the foundational essence of hospitality itself:
- Extending the Spirit of Care: Extending hospitality from welcoming hotel guests to supporting community members and vulnerable populations gives brand values real human warmth.
- Opening Doors to Talent: Inclusive recruitment creates opportunities for people whose experience or circumstances may otherwise make entering a new labour market difficult.
- Fostering Cultural Integration: Diverse cultural backgrounds within the workforce promote mutual understanding, respect, and a richer perspective across daily guest service operations.
How RIU Contributes: Creating Opportunities in Mexico
At RIU, our social and environmental commitment is driven by Proudly Committed, our sustainability strategy that guides all our initiatives toward creating a positive impact in the communities where we operate. Our collaboration with Tent puts this commitment into action through employment opportunities in Mexico.
In Quintana Roo, including Cancún’s Hotel Zone and Costa Mujeres, RIU works with Tent and institutional partners to support recruitment, workplace training and administrative or migration-related procedures. The programme spans kitchens, security, cleaning, maintenance, gardening and reception.
Since 2021, 217 refugees and migrants have participated in the programme; 28 people are currently active in it. The latest local report also records an indirect employment impact of 295 people. Participants have come primarily from Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and Venezuela.
Opening Doors to Employment
For Katiuska Espinosa Ginarte, who arrived from Cuba, the opportunity began with a kitchen assistant role at Hotel Riu Caribe despite having no previous experience in the field. Training and support helped her learn on the job. She later moved to the Public Areas department at Hotel Riu Ventura, continuing to develop her skills in a different operational setting.
“They gave me the opportunity to start as a kitchen assistant without any experience. They taught me a lot and supported me in everything.”
– Katiuska Espinosa Ginarte
Supporting Professional Growth
Employment is only the beginning of the journey. Yodanis Lafargue Rodríguez joined Hotel Riu Caribe through a training programme for new cooks and progressed to the position of Cook A. Her experience shows how practical learning and internal progression can turn an initial opportunity into a developing career.
“The impact Tent has had on my life has been wonderful… I started with a training programme for new cooks, and today I have been promoted to Cook A.”
– Yodanis Lafargue Rodríguez
Building Confidence and Belonging
Megan Malvis González Durán, now a receptionist at Hotel Riu Cancun, describes Tent as a necessary source of guidance when navigating a new country and unfamiliar working environment. She also highlights the support of colleagues who help new team members settle in. Her words from the opening reflect the human significance of that support.
“I would describe the Tent programme as ‘necessary’… When opportunities like Tent come along, the best thing to do is take them.”
– Megan Malvis González Durán
Case Study Overview: Tent Programme at RIU in Mexico
| Dimension | Highlights & Results |
| Location | Cancún Hotel Zone and Costa Mujeres, Quintana Roo |
| Cumulative participation | 217 people since 2021 |
| Currently active participants | 28 refugees and migrants |
| Indirect employment impact | 295 people |
| Operational areas | Kitchens, Security, Cleaning, Maintenance, Gardening and Reception |
| Integration support | Training and assistance with administrative and migration-related procedures |
| Individual examples | Training and promotion; entry-level recruitment; cross-department mobility; workplace adaptation |
The experiences of Katiuska, Yodanis and Megan show that inclusive recruitment is about more than filling vacancies. With training, guidance and a welcoming team, a first job can become a foundation for professional growth and a more secure future. Through our partnership with Tent, RIU aims to help create those opportunities in the communities where we operate.
Want to learn more about our CSR initiatives? Visit our Proudly Committed section at www.riu.com to discover how we are making a positive impact worldwide!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Tent is a global business network that helps companies connect refugees with employment opportunities. In hospitality, participating employers can work with local partners to support recruitment and workplace integration.
Inclusive recruitment can help refugees and migrants build financial independence and workplace connections, while giving employers access to a broader pool of talent and perspectives.
Employees are supported through role-specific training and the same operational expectations that apply across hotel teams. The experiences documented in Mexico highlight how training and teamwork can help new colleagues adapt.
The Mexico initiative includes on-the-job guidance and support with administrative and migration-related processes, alongside coordination with local and institutional partners.
