Together, MHLA can Help Stamp out Human Trafficking with Free Employee Training

Together, our Members can Help Stamp out Human Trafficking with Free Employee Training The real heroes in the war against human trafficking are often people doing everyday jobs who notice when something is unusual. Human traffickers will often use well-known and reputable hotels as the site of their crimes to profit from exploiting vulnerable people. But diligent hotel employees who have been well-trained on the issue of human trafficking are able to spot a potential trafficking situation when they know the warning signs. To truly eradicate human trafficking, it is essential that the hotel industry recognize our central role in not only responding to human trafficking, but preventing it in the first place.

​The best way to prevent human trafficking is with staff training and education. Hotel employees must be diligent, and aware of this crime, so they can report it to management. That’s why MHLA recently formed a partnership with the nonprofit organization, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), to address the issue of human trafficking by offering our members a free employee training on how to recognize and report suspected human trafficking activity in hotels. Members can train employees by administering BEST’s online Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, which is available in English and Spanish, and includes engaging video to help teach hotel employees the warning signs of potential human trafficking activity and what they can do if they suspect potential trafficking.

Employees will hear from hospitality professionals as well as human trafficking survivors in BEST’s video-based training. The training will help hotel staff understand that human trafficking is not a victimless crime, and can result in severe abuse, trauma, and violence. When human trafficking happens on hotel properties, not only can the situation be dangerous for victims of human trafficking, but it can also impact other guests’ assessment of the safety of the hotel and damage brand reputation. Training hotel employees in human trafficking prevention will have a major impact on our ability to help more victims of this crime get the help they need, as well as keep hotels safe for all guests.

BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training is sponsored by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).