Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG Hotels Lead the Charge in Preventing Human Trafficking with Free Training for Hospitality Workers

Image generated with Ai

In a groundbreaking move towards combating human trafficking, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG Hotels & Resorts have announced a comprehensive training initiative aimed at the hospitality industry. This new curriculum, developed in collaboration with Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) and Unboxed Training & Technology, will be available to independent hotel owners, operators, and brands at no cost. For the first time, these three industry giants are joining forces to address this critical issue across the entire sector.

This updated training program is designed with a survivor-informed approach, incorporating real-life video storytelling to provide an impactful and educational experience. The training will be available in both English and Spanish through PACT’s website, ensuring that a wide range of industry professionals can access the vital information they need to identify, prevent, and respond to human trafficking incidents.

Survivor-Informed and Accessible Training

PACT, a leading organization in the fight against human trafficking, will administer the training and provide subject-matter expertise rooted in the experiences of trafficking survivors. The curriculum is designed to be scalable and multilingual, making it accessible to a diverse audience within the hospitality industry. Unboxed Training & Technology, a strategic partner in learning design, played a crucial role in developing the training, ensuring it is aligned with industry standards and suitable for both individual hotel owners and large hotel chains.

The training program is built to be interactive and user-friendly, with scheduled reminders to encourage completion and technical support to assist participants throughout the learning process. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate, acknowledging their commitment to preventing human trafficking within their operations.

A Unified Industry Effort

This collaboration reflects the mission of the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) initiative, which aims to unite the hospitality industry in the fight against human trafficking. Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG Hotels & Resorts are actively involved in shaping the industry’s unified anti-trafficking efforts through their participation in the NRFT Advisory Council. This council, led by industry experts, works to provide ongoing support to survivors while guiding the industry’s collective anti-trafficking actions.

The new training initiative will complement Marriott International’s existing program, which has already reached over 2.6 million employees since its launch in 2020, further emphasizing the industry’s commitment to education and prevention.

Industry Leaders Share Their Commitment

“This collaboration shows that together, we can achieve more than any of us could alone,” said Katherine Lugar, EVP, corporate affairs, Hilton and president, Hilton Global Foundation, “Today, we’re putting competition aside and partnering across the industry to ensure every hospitality professional has access to the most up to date information and tools they need to recognize, respond and report instances of trafficking.”

“By listening to survivors and learning from hotel teams on the ground, we gained invaluable insights into where guidance could be strengthened to deepen the impact of our existing training,” said Joan Bottarini, Chief Financial Officer at Hyatt and Chair of AHLAF’s NRFT Advisory Council. “That understanding helped us shape and design an updated training to better support and equip hotel teams in real-world situations.”

“This partnership succeeded because we shared a commitment to turn an idea into action, together,” said Rani Hammond, SVP, Global Human Resources at IHG Hotels & Resorts. “By uniting around a common purpose, we’ve created a new, survivor-informed resource that can empower hotel teams to make a real difference in preventing human trafficking.”

“As an industry, we’ll continue to play a leading role in human trafficking prevention. Through the AHLA Foundation’s NRFT initiative, our mission is to convene the industry to elevate awareness of the crisis of human trafficking, educate the industry, and support survivors on their path forward,” said Kevin Carey, President and CEO of AHLA Foundation. “We are proud to support this collaboration. This is the kind of industry-wide cooperation on shared priorities that we hope will inspire future collective efforts on critical societal concerns.”

A Critical Tool for the Future

The launch of this training marks the culmination of a series of advocacy and awareness events conducted throughout January, in recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month. As the hospitality industry prepares to host large-scale events across the United States in 2026, this training will provide a vital resource to enhance awareness and prevention efforts, ensuring that hotel staff are better equipped to address human trafficking in real-world situations.

This free, survivor-informed training initiative is a critical step toward a more proactive and informed hospitality industry, working together to combat human trafficking and provide support to survivors. By providing easy access to education and empowering hotel teams to act, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG Hotels & Resorts are setting an example for the entire industry to follow.