The problem

Not just limited to underdeveloped countries, human trafficking and modern-day slavery affects ordinary establishments in the United States: hotels, massage parlors, schools, restaurants—even a home down your street.

In an age of partisan divide, let’s come together to abolish human trafficking.

Background

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), human trafficking is defied as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

A widespread crisis, the International Labor Organization estimates that 40.3 million people worldwide are trapped in modern slavery, as of 2016. Taken from the End Slavery Now, below are three major types of human trafficking (but not mutually exclusive):

  • Forced labor (also known as involuntary servitude): individuals are coerced into labor, often physically and without pay. This can include domestic servitude, child labor, bonded labor, and forced sex. When you hear that a commodity is being advertised as “fair trade”, its company is fighting against forced labor by sourcing the commodity in an ethical fashion that promotes human flourishing—ensuring minimum standards related to labor, sustainability, and more are met.1 Women and girls are “disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors.”2 
  • Debt bondage: a form of human trafficking in which individuals give themselves into slavery against a loan or when they inherit a debt from a relative. While there may be an employment agreement, the debt becomes impossible to repay due to high interest loans or a change of conditions. Then, their enslavement becomes permanent. If you hear news about workers being rescued from brick kilns, that is a form of debt bondage.
  • Sex trafficking: women, men, and/or children are forcefully involved in commercial sex acts. There are an estimated 4.5 million victims of sex trafficking worldwide. Because sex trafficking happens frequently in hotels, they have become an important champion in the fight agains human trafficking.

Governments in over 170 countries have vowed to eradicate human trafficking through commitments and laws. The U.S. State Department releases a yearly Trafficking in Persons report, and groups countries into three tiers, based on whether they meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards.3 Some countries have passed comprehensive legislation in rescuing trafficking victims and arresting & prosecuting perpetrators, while other countries have vague or no anti-trafficking laws in place. 10% of countries do not currently have legislation addressing human trafficking. Some countries, such as Mauritania, have abolished modern-day slavery in policy, but still have a significant percentage bond by forced labor, today.4

Your unique role in stopping human trafficking

The hotel and tourism industry has unfortunately been a particularly convenient nexus for sex trafficking due to the unique standard of privacy and anonymity accessible. Between December 2007 to February 2015 within the U.S., there have been 1,434 reported cases of trafficking in hotels/motels, and 1,867 identified victims.5 About 75 percent of sex trafficking occurs at hotels and motels. Federal officials have enacted new legislation and led more sting operations in recent years. For example, Backpage, a classifieds website commonly used to advertise prostitution, was seized in 2018 by the FBI. In addition, Craigslist has also removed its Personals section.

Nevertheless, human trafficking is still a prevalent problem within the U.S.

We at HOTELSIGNS.com want to ensure that our affiliates and partners are able to best recognize and report signs of trafficking. For hotel management, your front-desk employees, housekeeping, and room service staff are in unique positions to able to observe potential trafficking situations. Your front-desk employees (eg. reception, concierge, bellhops, night audit, and doormen) are the ones who see who is entering and leaving your hotel. Your housekeeping and room service staff access each room in your hotel on a daily basis and are privy to the specifics of hotel rooms and possible suspicious activity. 

Here are 5 ways that hotel management can actively combat human trafficking:
1. Adopt a company-wide anti-trafficking policy. Per the Polaris Project, make sure your policy articulates your hotel’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking at all levels of your business. Ensure your policy is clearly communicated and implemented at all levels.6 For example, Marriott International adopted a mandatory human trafficking training requirement in 2017 across all its properties worldwide.

2. Make human trafficking training mandatory for all associates. Organizations like ECPAT-USA have a well-acclaimed and effective training program.

3. Encourage employees (especially night audit) to speak with guests at check-in. 

Not only do you foster customer service, but this is also a way for employees to notice strange behavior, and follow-up or call 911 as necessary.

4. Watch out for the following warning signs:

  • Excessive stashes of paraphernalia, alcohol, and cash in the hotel room.
  • Guests that book multiple rooms.
  • Guests that rent rooms hourly for less than a day, or long-term stays that seem out of place.
  • The “Do Not Disturb” sign used constantly.
  • Hotel rooms that have an excessive amount of occupants.
  • Guests whose IDs are in another guest’s possession.
  • Cars that are regularly parked backwards, so that the license plate is not visible.
  • Guest that dress inappropriately for their age or have lower quality clothing compared to others in their group.
  • Extended stays with few or no personal possessions.

5. Post human trafficking hotline numbers, and other related anti-trafficking notices, in clear locations. 

HOTELSIGNS.com provides various customizable and ADA-compliant human trafficking notices to help you keep your hotel safe, and to better help you and your employees notice suspicious activity. You will find generic, informative human trafficking notices, as well as state-specific (e.g. California, Georgia, and New York) notices resulting from laws passed by legislation. For example, recently passed New York legislation specifies that all in-state hotels with five rooms or more are required to post an information card with the National Human Trafficking Hotel number (1-888-373-7888). We also provide California human trafficking notices in Spanish and Chinese, in compliance with CA Civil Code 52.6 regulations. Click here to see which signs you need based on your state.

With each HOTELSIGNS.com sign, you can customize the graphic color, text color, font, and even insert custom text. That’s more than 80 colors on nearly every sign style. With fast lead times, trust HOTELSIGNS.com to provide the necessary anti-human trafficking signage for your hotel. 

While the problem is daunting, we can work together to end human trafficking through advocacy and prevention. 

Check out these resources for more information about how you are able to play a part in ending human trafficking:

References