Marriott International is committed to make 750,000+ hotel workers and 6,900 properties worldwide a part of the fight to combat modern slavery.
A Million Eyes
Starting in 2017, we made human trafficking awareness training mandatory for all hotel workers and developed training tailored to specific roles and functions at hotels. Teaming up with ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit policy organization focused on ending the sexual exploitation of children, and Polaris, a leading U.S. nonprofit that works to fight trafficking, we developed a comprehensive training program for hotel workers to learn and recognize the many indicators of trafficking and forced labor. Though the presence of a single indicator does not equate to human trafficking, hotel workers are educated to look for a combination of indicators that may suggest potential human trafficking.
We are proud to share that, as of the end of January, the company has successfully trained 500,000 hotel workers to spot the signs of human trafficking on property, and how to respond if they come across suspicious activity.
To reinforce the training, Marriott released its first-ever public service announcement on human trafficking “A Million Eyes” to further promote and build awareness on common indicators that hotel workers and guests can learn.
Beyond Training
We also recognize that beyond awareness training of hotel associates to spot the signs of trafficking, job training that offers survivors an opportunity for self-sufficiency and economic independence are vital to mitigating the risk of survivors ending up back in situations of exploitation. Businesses have an active role to play, which is why last year we partnered with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) to co-develop a job readiness curriculum focused on hospitality that supports survivors of human trafficking.
Additionally, we are excited to share that at the start of 2019, we became the first hotel company to embark on a collaboration with Polaris to design and scale public-facing posters and signs that will build awareness on the indicators of trafficking—and how to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline—if someone should recognize those signs. In addition to hotel workers, educating guests to understand and recognize common indicators and empowering them to know how to report potential trafficking situations is another way we can be part of the solution.
We can achieve more progress by joining forces across the business, government, and nonprofit sectors and collaborating with each other on solutions to end human trafficking.
