LIFESTYLE n HUMAN TRAFFICKING
In the Shadows: Human Trafficking
in the Hospitality Industry
By Blair Pippin
The manager of the hotel was aware of the
issue of human trafficking and its prevalence
in the hospitality industry so she made a
point to educate her employees. She recently
participated in a seminar on the issue where
Florida Abolitionist delivered a presentation
about human trafficking and its warning
signs to a group of hotel professionals.
Within weeks of the presentation, the women
arrived at her hotel. With the red flags fresh
in her mind, she quickly ran through them.
The two seemed to have little to no luggage.
They appeared dazed and confused each
morning. The room was reserved by a man
who was rarely ever there but showed up
to extend the room reservation longer and
longer, each time paying in cash.
She knew criminals want to avoid a money
trail, so the fact the man always paid in cash
pushed her over the edge. It was likely that
these women were sex trafficking victims
so she made the call to the authorities.
Within minutes, police were on the scene
investigating the situation and interviewing
the women.
WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
Human trafficking is an international epidemic.
It happens when people are treated as slaves
for sex and labor. Around the world, men
and women are bought and sold as property
to be used and abused. These modern-
day slaves are forced to work on farms and
factories, in restaurants, nail salons, hotels,
and in pornography and prostitution.
According to the International Labour
Organization, there are over 40 million slaves
in the world today. One in four of these slaves
are children. That means there are 10 Million
children enslaved around the globe.
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VOL 4, Issue 5
This crime does not only happen in far-
away lands among poor people. Human
trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is alive
and well in the ‘Land of the Free’. It exists
in every state and does not discriminate.
Victims come from every race and social
status, small towns and large cities, and are
often American citizens.
A crime like this prefers to remain in the
shadows; however, with the rise of the
internet, the ease with which sex traffickers
can arrange meetings with paying customers
has increased and pushed the crime from the
streets and alleyways to hotels and motels.
Traffickers rent a room where their victims are
forced into prostitution. Victims often have
a quota they must meet and are controlled
through manipulation and drugs. If they do
not bring in the money, they risk physical
abuse as punishment. This fear keeps them
trapped.
HOW HOTELS CAN
STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING
It is imperative for hospitality staff to receive
training about human trafficking. Equipped
with knowledge, hospitality employees can
become a huge army in the fight against
this global crime that is ruining the lives of
countless victims.
In addition to the signs the manager
recognized, front desk personnel may notice
that sex trafficking victims seldom have access
to their personal identification, often have
someone speaking on their behalf, and may
have tattoos of a name or $