WASHINGTON—AHLA and the AHLA Foundation recognized National Human Trafficking Prevention month by participating in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s largest Blue Campaign initiative, #WearBlueDay. The initiative kicks off a series of events and thought leadership activities in January to show the No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) program, a national effort that unites the hotel and lodging industries around strategies and actions to help eradicate human trafficking.
Engagement opportunities include an event in partnership with It’s a Penalty in Phoenix prior to Super Bowl LVII, a live Twitter chat in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), an event in partnership with Safe House Project at the U.S. Capitol, as well as a virtual fireside chat with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on January 30 to close out the month.
In 2022, the AHLA Foundation announced expanded efforts to support survivors through the Survivor Fund. Wyndham is the latest contributor to these efforts with their commitment of $500,000 to the Survivor Fund. To date, the Fund has raised more than $2 million from hotel companies including the Hilton Global Foundation, Hyatt Hotels Foundation, Extended Stay America, and G6 Hospitality. The Fund will award grants to community-based organizations that help prevent revictimization by equipping survivors with resources to support them on their path forward, from emergency housing to career development and other critical needs.
“As an industry, there is no greater moral cause than combatting human trafficking, and January serves as a time to bring awareness to this fight and support survivors. From member resources to training events to awareness-raising campaigns, we are proud to drive these critical efforts forward into 2023,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “Beyond growing the impact of the Survivor Fund through increased support from hotel companies across the country, we will continue to elevate the issue, educate industry employees and employers, and empower survivors. While there is still much more to be done, together we are making critical strides in the fight to end trafficking.”
Through NRFT, the industry is committed to supporting and empowering survivors while continuing to advance training and education to raise awareness about and help stop human trafficking. To date, over 800,000 hotel employees nationwide have been trained through the industry’s free human trafficking awareness training hosted in partnership with ECPAT-USA.
