'This is about both protecting hotel staff but also ensuring that the hospitality sector is an active part of the movement to address women trafficking'
It’s not like in the movies — people aren’t necessarily handcuffed to radiators — but human trafficking is a serious issue that needs addressing, according to Julia Drydyk, executive director at the Canadian Center to End Human Trafficking (CCEHT).
And that’s why new training called “Not in Our Hotel” for staff at hotels across Canada is so important.
“If the hospitality sector were really to take leadership in this, it's not just about identifying potential human trafficking on their premises or through their businesses — these are also mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles, family members that are now being equipped with information, or unfortunately, they might even see it in their community,” she says.
“The overall ripple effect of this type of education and awareness could actually be huge, which is why it's so important.”
The free, online “Not in Our Hotel” training is being offered by several provincial hotel associations.
Just by nature of the business, hotels can be a location where criminals attempt to perpetrate this kind of activity, says Tracy Douglas-Blowers, president and CEO of the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association.
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