As we recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month throughout January, AHLA continues to raise awareness on the need to combat these heinous crimes and provide employers with the tools and resources to take appropriate action to prevent human trafficking. Regrettably, this continues to be a serious issue for the global hospitality industry, which is why AHLA, in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), ECPAT-USA and the Polaris Project, has developed an updated online training program to help hotel employees identify and respond to human trafficking at hotel properties. This training, titled “The Role of Hospitality in Preventing and Reacting to Child Trafficking,” provides an overview of the issues of human trafficking, suggested protocols for responding to suspicious activity, and signs of trafficking specific to different hospitality positions (in-room staff, restaurant, lobby, and security).

Throughout the month of January, AHLA encourages you to utilize this training to empower your employees, raise awareness in your communities and use social media as a tool to emphasize the importance of combatting human trafficking by using the hashtag #HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth. Together, we can make a difference.