A Crisis Within Our Walls
Human trafficking isn’t something that happens somewhere else. It’s happening here, in communities we know, and too often, it’s happening inside hotels.
According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 50 million people worldwide are trapped in modern slavery, many of which are in situations involving forced labor or sexual exploitation (International Labour Organization, 2022). A 2023 report by Polaris revealed that 75 percent of survivors reported coming into contact with hotels at some point during their trafficking situations.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness and responsibility. Hospitality and technology leaders must confront just how present human trafficking is throughout hospitality until we see the numbers for ourselves. However, as hospitality leaders, we are in a powerful position to spot the signs and stop the cycle.
As someone who leads a hospitality tech company, I’ve spent years thinking about how hotel systems can streamline operations, improve guest experiences, and drive efficiency. But lately, my focus—and my urgency—has shifted. If the systems we build aren’t also helping protect the people within those walls, we’re missing the point.
We’re in a moment where we can choose to be more than hosts. We can become protectors. Guardians at the gate–or guestroom
How Trafficking Hides in Plain Sight
Hotels are designed to be welcoming spaces of rest, privacy, and safety. But these very qualities can make them attractive to traffickers seeking anonymity and a steady flow of guests. The industry’s commitment to guest satisfaction remains one of its most important and reliable qualities. However, it has also created blind spots to be exploited by human traffickers.
The easy presumption is that hotels are used for commercial sex trafficking, and while this is a significant part of the story, it doesn’t stop there. According to Polaris, 80% of commercial sex trafficking situations involved a hotel at some point, 69% of victims reported staying in a hotel while traveling, and 47% sought shelter in a hotel during their attempt to exit their trafficking situation. These findings highlight that hotels are not just sites of exploitation but can also become temporary safe havens or transitional spaces during a victim’s journey to freedom.
It’s also critical to recognize that hotels play a role in labor trafficking. Victims may be exploited through forced labor in hotel housekeeping, maintenance, or other service roles, often hidden in plain sight. Addressing human trafficking in hospitality requires confronting both commercial sex and labor exploitation to create truly safe and ethical environments.
Where the Industry Is—and Isn’t—Making Progress
The hospitality industry has begun to confront the uncomfortable reality of how traffickers exploit hotels. Recognizing this, many organizations have initiated efforts to combat human trafficking within their establishments.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s “No Room for Trafficking” initiative completed more than 2.2 million trainings between 2019 and 2023, equipping staff across various roles to identify and report suspicious activities. Major hotel chains have also partnered with organizations, including ECPAT-USA and Polaris, to strengthen their anti-trafficking measures.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain. Training programs lack consistency across properties, and the industry suffers from a lack of clear reporting protocols and varying levels of commitment. Moreover, the transient nature of hotel guests and the desire to maintain guest privacy can complicate detection and intervention efforts.
To make meaningful strides, the industry must continue to prioritize comprehensive training, establish clear policies, and foster a culture where employees feel empowered to act. While doing all of this, there is still more to do, and technology must help.
The Quiet Power of Smart Technology
As hospitality leaders, we’re in a position not just to respond to human trafficking, but to actively prevent it. That starts with seeing technology not only as an operational asset, but as a safeguard for human life. Innovative tools are being developed and implemented to identify, prevent, and respond to trafficking activities more effectively.
Organizations like DeliverFund utilize AI to analyze online advertisements and detect patterns indicative of trafficking, providing actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, mobile applications like TraffickCam allow hotel guests to contribute to anti-trafficking efforts by uploading photos of their hotel rooms to assist law enforcement agencies with identifying locations where trafficking may have occurred.
Over the past few years, we’ve taken concrete steps to confront trafficking. We partnered with the nonprofit PACT to deliver a free, on-demand human trafficking awareness course to hotel staff. We’ve integrated safety alerts and digital panic button functionality into our MOP system to help protect housekeepers and other team members. And we’ve contributed financially to the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund to support those rebuilding their lives after exploitation.
The goal is simple: to make safety easier to act on. As hospitality professionals, we have a profound responsibility to protect the vulnerable and uphold the dignity of every individual who walks through our doors. Collaboration is key. By partnering with law enforcement, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, we can create a united front.
The time to act is now. Let us stand together, not just as industry professionals, but as guardians committed to the safety and well-being of all individuals.
Learn More About Our Anti-Trafficking Efforts
At Visual Matrix, we’re committed to turning awareness into action. Our approach combines advocacy, education, technology, and financial support to help protect vulnerable individuals and empower hotel teams to act.
