AHLA statement on the introduction of the HOTEL Act

HOTEL Act

WASHINGTON (Sept. 19, 2024) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement after the introduction of the Halting of Trafficking and Exploitation in Lodging Act, or the HOTEL Act, which encourages federal workers traveling for business to stay at hotels with anti-human trafficking programs.

“The HOTEL Act recognizes the crucial role hotels play in the fight against human trafficking, and we are proud to support this important legislation,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “We look forward to working with Reps. Smith and Krishnamoorthi and lawmakers across the House and Senate to pass this legislation.”

Background
The Halting of Trafficking and Exploitation in Lodging Act, or the HOTEL Act, was introduced by Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. It would encourage federal workers traveling for business to stay at hotels with anti-human trafficking programs.

To qualify under the bill, hotel training must be developed in consultation with either a state government, human trafficking survivors, survivor-led anti-trafficking organizations, or any organization that is nationally recognized for its expertise in this area – for instance, the AHLA Foundation.

AHLA, its members, and the AHLA Foundation are steadfastly committed to trafficking prevention, and hotels have been a leader in this area for many years.

  • Since 2019, the No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) initiative has supported trafficking-prevention training for hotel employees through a partnership with PACT (formerly ECPAT-USA).
  • These free training modules help hotel staff understand what to look for and how to respond to signs of trafficking, while explaining how to display human trafficking indicator signage in hotels, establish company-wide policies, coordinate with law enforcement, and share success stories and best practices.
  • The introductory training has been taken more than 1.8 million times to date, and thousands are trained every year. These numbers do not include additional anti-trafficking training efforts by AHLA members, which vary in length and frequency.
  • The AHLA Foundation in 2022 announced expanded efforts to support trafficking survivors through the industry’s first-ever Survivor Fund, which has raised $3.7 million since its inception.
  • As part of its continued commitment to combatting this issue, AHLA Foundation is matching NRFT Survivor Fund contributions up to $5 million dollars (with an overall goal of $10 million in total contributions.)

“Through the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking initiative, the hotel industry is united in the effort to prevent human trafficking and support survivors,” said AHLA Foundation President Anna Blue. “The collective impact of the industry can accelerate innovative human trafficking prevention efforts and upstream strategies to make a positive difference in the communities where we work and live.”