Because January is Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Month, what better time to talk about the new anti-trafficking training launched by ECPAT-USA?
The specialized training is for travel management professionals, corporate travel managers and those who work in the meeting and events industry to learn more about ways to prevent and respond to human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The 25-minute online training program discusses the intersections between human trafficking and the travel industry because traffickers are known to do most of their business using hotels, airlines and other travel infrastructure, capitalizing on lack of awareness in these industries. It’s available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
The training will focus on these five key things:
- The definition and impact of human trafficking
- The signs of sex trafficking
- The signs of labor trafficking
- Why traffickers use the travel industry
- How to take action with clients and suppliers
The meetings industry has been amping up its fight against human trafficking ever since 2014 when it was reported that more than 21 million people are being held as slaves, many of whom cross paths with meeting planners and their attendees in airplanes, airports and hotels. Now, more than 50 percent of hotels in the U.S. have provided training to staff members on how to respond to human trafficking, and meeting planners can do the same.
