One Step Closer to Ending Human Trafficking

I am so proud of Marriott International’s efforts to do good in the communities we serve – but the company’s efforts to bring an end to human trafficking are among the most meaningful work we do.

For too long, human trafficking was a taboo topic: a horrendous crime that exploits people for profit and frequently takes place in hotels, that no one wanted to talk about. No longer.

Since 2013, the global community has recognized July 30 as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This day is an important opportunity for us to raise awareness of the impact of human trafficking on the hotel industry and our efforts to prevent it and protect the rights of victims and survivors.

Last year, we acknowledged World Day Against Trafficking in Persons by launching an enhanced human trafficking awareness training, which represented the next step in Marriott’s goal to train all on-property associates by 2025. To date, more than 950,000 associates at managed and franchised properties in the Marriott portfolio have completed training, creating a global workforce that stands ready to recognize and respond to human trafficking.

We know first-hand that this training has helped identify instances of human trafficking. Check out this brief video about how the Los Angeles Airport Marriott put the training into action.

When we launched the updated training to our associates around the world, we also promised to share these resources with the entire hotel industry. Today, I am thrilled to announce that Marriott International, the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation and ECPAT-USA, a leading anti-trafficking organization in the United States, have launched the “Recognize and Respond: Addressing Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry” training program. This comprehensive training features unique learning paths for hotel workers and their managers, authentic hotel-based scenarios and increased guidance on responding to potential trafficking situations and interacting with victims.

If you work in a hotel, I urge you to take the free training on ECPAT-USA’s online learning platform and help us ensure that every hotel worker is trained to recognize and respond to human trafficking.

We are proud that our training is having an impact beyond Marriott’s workforce by equipping the broader industry with effective tools to combat human trafficking. It is our hope that these efforts will help bring the industry one step closer to ending human trafficking and forced labor.