ECPAT-USA, a leading anti-trafficking organization that works closely with the PC(USA) and Presbyterian Women, has launched a new campaign targeting hotels. In the new public service announcement, Does your Hotel Know?, we hear a young girl narrate her story of being sold for sex in a hotel while employees looked away.
Countless children are identified as victims of trafficking at hotels across the country, ranging from budget properties to luxury resorts. Jared Fogel, former Subway sandwich chain spokesperson, has recently pled guilty to buying sex with minors and meeting them at high-end luxury hotels. Under U.S. federal law, anyone under the age of 18 who is in prostitution is a victim of sex trafficking; children cannot consent to being sold in the sex trade.
Hotel employees are one of few industries in a unique position to identify sex trafficking. From check in to checkout there are a number of indicators victims and traffickers exhibit during the time they’re on a hotel property. With proper training, a front desk clerk or a housekeeper can notice that something is not right and respond. ECPAT-USA partners with hotels to enact The Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct (The Code), which requires hotels to train their employees on identifying and reporting suspected cases of trafficking and helps ensure victims are assisted.
At the 2014 General Assembly, the PC(USA) passed an overture encouraging the church and its members to patronize Code hotels when they travel. This is an important step in making this training standard with the hotel industry.
by Sarah Porter, ECPAT-USA
