The international expansion of Meliá Hotels International and its brand expansion

[eng] The aim of this paper is to analyse the internationalisation process of family businesses in one of the most important sectors of modern society, which is undoubtedly the main economic engine for the Balearic Islands: the tourism sector. Starting from a theoretical framework on the main aspects of the internationalisation of family businesses, specifically the process of international expansion, strengths and weaknesses of this type of business, I propose the study of the case of the hotel chain Meliá Hotels International, a family business with a long history and leader in our country. The analysis of the company in question will be developed from its beginnings to its internationalisation, ending with a special mention of the actions carried out by the company in the current context marked by the COVID 19 health crisis. Finally, the keys to the company's successful internationalisation will be analysed, linking them to the concepts developed in the theoretical framework