CAMAS, WA—The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) have expanded a partnership in an effort to educate and enlist more hoteliers, state lodging associations, and hospitality industry partners in the fight against human trafficking.
The expanded partnership includes a free co-branded anti-trafficking online training for AAHOA members and certification for those who complete the training. The trainings will be available in English and Spanish for group or individual training; there is also free training for managers.
The partnership is also expanded to include promotion of the training through AAHOA’s vast network of state lodging associations and industry partners. The two organizations announced the expanded partnership at AAHOA’s annual Northwest Region Charity Golf Tournament.
AAHOA Chairman Hitesh (HP) Patel said, “With more than 18,000 members who own one out of every two hotels in the United States and employ over 600,000 people, AAHOA is proud to build on our partnership with BEST to train more of our industry in how to identify and combat human trafficking. It can be difficult to identify trafficking, whether it is commercial sex trafficking or labor trafficking, because each situation is different. With the proper training, hoteliers and their employees can save lives, protect their guests, their reputations and their businesses.”
“This is a significant development for BEST and AAHOA,” said BEST Executive Director Mar Brettmann, PhD. “With an increased awareness of human trafficking and its effects on victims and communities, more businesses are stepping up to help combat this exploitation. Hoteliers are playing a vital role in preventing this crime. By promoting anti-trafficking training throughout the industry, we can ensure that traffickers and people who buy exploited people cannot use hotels to commit their heinous crimes.” HB