Human trafficking is the trade of humans for forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that at any given time, 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage. Human trafficking is a clandestine trade that can exist in many industries however the hospitality sector proves to be attractive to traffickers who capitalize on the sector’s privacy and anonymity.
BCHA believes that the hotel industry, along with partners and stakeholders, can play an important role in working to reduce and ultimately eliminate human trafficking by training and educating their staff to be able to recognize the signs and potential red flags. Providing its members with resources and information is critical to ensuring that the industry continues to combat human trafficking at all levels within organizations.
BCHA, in partnership with national and provincial counterparts, has developed an educational program and resource guide for its members—Not In Our Hotel. This initiative provides staff with crucial training on identifying early warning signs and establishing effective strategies for due diligence, risk management, and awareness. The program aims to equip members with the necessary tools to enhance safety and security within their establishments.
With the right training, hotel employees can help STOP it.
The Not In Our Hotel training program empowers hospitality staff to Recognize, Respond, and Report suspected human trafficking. This FREE online training is available to all hotel employees across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
In 2022, Public Safety Canada reported the following statistics:
1. 3,996 incidents of human trafficking have been reported to police services in Canada between 2012-2022.
2. In 2022, 82% of incidents of human trafficking were reported in census metropolitan areas.
3. 94% of victims of police-reported human trafficking were women and girls.
4. 91% of victims were trafficked by someone they knew, and 34% were trafficked by an intimate partner.
By training every hotel employee, we can protect vulnerable individuals, safeguard our industry, and help law enforcement combat this growing crisis.
✔ How to identify the warning signs of human trafficking in hotels
✔ What steps to take when you suspect trafficking is happening
✔ How to report concerns safely and effectively
This training is essential for all hotel employees, from front desk staff and housekeeping to management and security teams.
Every hotel employee should have the knowledge to Recognize, Respond, and Report human trafficking. The Not In Our Hotel training is completely free and recommended to be completed annually, ensuring all staff stay informed and prepared.
Provided below are a number of resources that can be referenced for additional information on human trafficking:
