Like it or not, a hotel is a quasi-public place, and hoteliers have a moral, if not legal, duty to do what they can to prevent crime, spot ongoing criminal activity and work with law enforcement. That might be as simple as directing police to the room of a fugitive they're tracking or busting up a pot party in one of the guestrooms.
In recent years, hoteliers have been vigilant in spotting mobile meth labs in hotel rooms and in using the American Hotel & Lodging Association's "See something, say something" program to train employees to be on the lookout for suspicious-looking people. In that regard, the hotel industry is an important part of the war on worldwide terrorism.
Now comes a new threat and once again, the hotel industry is stepping up to do its part. The latest threat is from human trafficking, the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain. Often, that's part of the sex trade preying on underage boys and girls.
According to End Child Prostitution and Trafficking-USA, nearly 300,000 children are at risk of sexual exploitation in the United States. It's a crime that's been a part of society for decades but where once it was confined to street corners, it's now become high tech and moved indoors—often to hotels.
In response, ECPAT-USA is rallying the tourism industry to join the fight against child exploitation in several ways. It's urging business owners to adopt zero-tolerance policies against employees who look the other way when they suspect trafficking. Hoteliers can also sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, a set of guidelines to help in the fight. And finally, the group urges hotel operators to give their employees training to spot signs of trafficking in their hotels.
Vision Hospitality Group is the first hotel company in Tennessee to put its workforce through the ECPAT-USA training program. Employees at Vision's DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, were the first to receive the training, and eventually all 1,000 employees in the company will be trained.
"It was shocking to me to find out this is such a problem, even here in Chattanooga," Vision Hospitality President and CEO Mitch Patel told me last week by phone. "You hear about this problem internationally or in the major cities of our country, but I was stunned to hear about it in my backyard."
Patel said his company works with the Tennessee Women's Funds Alliance on this project. Once the company's employees complete the training process, Vision will be eligible for certification from ECPAT-USA.
As Patel mentioned, human trafficking is a global problem, and other hotel companies are doing their part to tackle the issue. Nordic Choice Hotels based in Oslo, Norway, is working with UNICEF and its anti-child trafficking “Free to Grow” program. As part of that effort, the company has banned adult pay-per-view movies from its guestrooms.
What can you do? Despite your best intentions, it’s best to work through established channels to maximize your efforts. In the U.S., contact ECPAT-USA; globally the Free to Grow program is a good resource. As a hotel owner or operator, you really don't have a moral choice. It's the right thing to do to exert your best efforts to help prevent the unspeakable sorrow caused by human trafficking.
Contact your local, state or national hotel associations to access their resources or to urge them to join the campaign. If you own or operate branded hotels, talk to your chain representative.
Email Ed Watkins or find him on Twitter.
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