South Carolina is now using BEST’s training to prevent human trafficking in hotels

When hotel employees learn the signs of human trafficking, they can become advocates for helping human trafficking victims. That’s why The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA) recently joined forces with BEST to provide their member hotel staffs with BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, sponsored by AAHOA. This new partnership makes South Carolina the seventh state to begin using BEST’s hotel employee training program.

Front line staff who work directly with the general public can witness the warning signs of human trafficking and report it. BEST’s training explains the truth about human trafficking and helps hotel employees learn how to recognize potential human trafficking situations and report suspected trafficking activity to their managers.  Hotel management can then contact law enforcement to safely intervene and recover victims. BEST’s hotel employee training has been proven to increase staff reporting, and survey results show that after receiving training, 96 percent of hotel employee participants believe BEST’s training made their hotel safer.

“As an industry uniquely positioned to recognize and report human trafficking, it is crucial that we empower all of our employees to take action when they suspect a problem. Our partnership with BEST gives members free, ongoing access to a toolkit designed to equip everyone working in the hotel industry with what they need to know to help keep our establishments and communities safe,” says John Durst, President & CEO for SCRLA.

Given the transient nature of the hotel industry, with its service-focused culture that respects guest privacy, hotels are an ideal environment for human traffickers. So, it is essential that all hotel employees who have direct contact with guests are trained to recognize and report potential human trafficking.