ATLANTA, Ga., July 30 – AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton issued the following statement on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons:
“As a society, we have a moral obligation to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. That is why, when human traffickers seek to exploit the powerless and defenseless in our communities, America’s hoteliers are stepping up to put a stop to it. Human trafficking is a terrible crime. AAHOA stands with victims and all those working to end trafficking. Today is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and AAHOA is committed to raising awareness of this crime throughout the year. We commend the United Nations for highlighting this critical issue and helping to inspire the political will to address it.
“Thousands of hotel owners and their employees are educating themselves about trafficking identification and prevention through AAHOA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Trainings. These free online trainings, developed in partnership with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) and Polaris, provide comprehensive training to help hoteliers and hospitality employees understand trafficking, identify the signs, and respond to potential trafficking situations. We are proud to partner with the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign as well as AHLA’s No Room for Trafficking campaign. The hospitality industry is united in keeping traffickers out of our hotels and our communities. Together, we can save lives and end this despicable practice.”
About AAHOA:
AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the world. The over 18,500 AAHOA members own almost one in every two hotels in the United States. With billions of dollars in property assets and hundreds of thousands of employees, AAHOA members are core economic contributors in virtually every community. AAHOA is a proud defender of free enterprise and the foremost current-day example of realizing the American dream.
CONTACT:
Peter Clerkin
202-945-4950
[email protected]
