Tui and Thomas Cook are among the founding members of a global industry taskforce to combat human trafficking set up by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Announcing the taskforce at the WTTC global summit in Seville, WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: “Forty million people live in modern slavery – a lot of women, a lot of girls and children. It’s a crime and it’s all around us.”
She noted there are 30 million victims of human trafficking “which relies on travel and tourism networks”.
Guevara told the summit: “We need to increase awareness. We need to train employees to detect [trafficking].
“We have founded a taskforce to exchange information, coordinate efforts and engage with the public sector and non-governmental organisations.
“In a lot of countries, human trafficking is not a crime, so we will work with governments to develop legislation to make it a crime.”
The taskforce will also seek to establish support for survivors.
Guevara said: “This topic is very close to my heart. I have been involved with the issue since 1995 and have met victims in London, in Mexico, in the Philippines. We can all do much more.”
The WTTC noted: “Human trafficking is present virtually everywhere.”
The taskforce marks the first industry-wide effort to assert zero tolerance of trafficking. It will have four aims:
Prevention – “to increase industry and consumer awareness of human trafficking”.
Protection – “to train employees and travellers on how to identify and report cases of suspected trafficking”.
Action – “to encourage governments to enact legislation which recognises human trafficking as a crime and to develop resources and support, such as national hotlines”.
Support – “to provide assistance, employment training and opportunities to survivors”.
Guevara said: “We must do everything in our power as a sector to help eradicate the problem.”
Founding members of the taskforce include Airbnb, American Express Global Business Travel, The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, Ctrip.com International, CWT, Emirates, Expedia Group, Hilton, JTB Corp, Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority, Marriott International, Silversea, Thomas Cook and Tui.