How to Spot Human Trafficking in Hotels

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human trafficking, meeting planner, New York City
Even 4- and 5-star hotels can unknowingly harbor traffickers.

Michelle Guelbart, private sector project coordinator for ECPAT-USA, joined Prevue Editor Barbara Scofidio twice during last week’s IMEX show in Las Vegas to educate attendees about human trafficking and how to spot victims. A new ECPAT video, “Does Your Hotel Know?” was featured in their sessions.

Every hotel—including the 4- and 5-star properties used by meeting planners—is a potential site for sex trafficking, which affects nearly 100,000 children each year. Former Subway pitch man Jared Fogle was staying at The Plaza Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton when he was arrested in New York City (he plead guilty to child pornography charges and engaging in sexual contact with a minor).

Signs to look for can be subtle, but when identified in combination, could point to human trafficking. For example, a front desk clerk might think nothing of a young female guest whose partner is holding her identification and wallet for her, but when the room she checks into then has a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging from the door all week, there’s reason for suspicion. Several hotel companies, including Carlson-Rezidor, Accor, Wyndham and Hilton Worldwide, are leading the fight against trafficking by signing “The Code” (the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct), training their employees, and putting policies and programs in place to address this issue.

Among the signs to look for in hotels:

  • A traveler pays in cash one day at a time
  • A guest escorts various men into their room
  • An older male or female stays around the room until the visitors leave, watching the door
  • The victim will rarely be left alone
  • The victim will also have little control of money and identification.
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Guelbart and Scofidio will be part of an upcoming webinar, “Your Role in Spotting and Combatting Human Trafficking,” sponsored by SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) and Prevue, on November 3 at 2 p.m. EST. Other panelists include Lesley Young Cutler, owner, Envision Meetings & Incentives, and Jennifer Keltner, travel and meeting manager for a large automotive company. Half of all proceeds will be donated to ECPAT-USA.

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