WASHINGTON (April 4, 2019) – Executive Vice President of Government Affairs of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Brian Crawford issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act by the House of Representatives: 
 
“As an industry, hotels have been investing in employee and guest safety for decades, working with experts to continuously update protocols and procedures that keep both employees and guests safe. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April, AHLA launched a month-long campaign along with our member companies and national partners to raise public awareness about sexual assault and reaffirm the hotel industry’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all employees – men and women – and guests.
 
“This commitment to safety and security is why we applaud today’s bipartisan action in Congress, which recognizes the need to expand protection for victims of violence, a critical issue from which no industry is immune. 
 
“As part of our month-long campaign, AHLA’s 2019 Board of Directors united against sexual violence with an open letter in The Wall Street Journal, and by wearing jeans as part of a social media movement ahead of Peace Over Violence’s Denim Day on April 24. In addition to this initiative throughout April, AHLA, with the support of most major hotel brands, recently unveiled the 5-Star Promise, a commitment protect employees and guests against harassment assault, and trafficking. This pledge is a first of its kind promise focused on how we help protect our employees, particularly women who are often the victims of these crimes. We are fully committed to working, day in and day out, to ensure America’s hotels are secure places for all those who work in and visit them. 
 
“AHLA praises our Congressional leaders for their bipartisan efforts by passing the Violence Against Women Act. Safety is a never-ending challenge, and the hotel industry is highly committed to be part of the solution. Protecting our employees—as well the millions of guests who stay in American hotel rooms each day—is critically important to our industry,” concluded Crawford.

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest national association solely representing all segments of the eight million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including brands, hotel owners, REITs, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments.

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