Watch out for people who avoid contact with staff and other guests, who ask to pay in cash, who insist that they don’t need housekeeping, who make excessive requests for towels, or who wouldn't let what seem like their companions speak for themselves, Marriott's employees are told.
Offered in 17 languages to all employees -- from cooks, room attendants to cleaners and front desk staff -- under Marriott International is a training seminar on spotting the signs of sex trafficking in hotels.
Approximately 4.8 million people are trapped in forced sexual labor globally, according to the International Labor Organization.
What differentiates Marriott - and Hyatt and Hilton - from other international hotel companies is that instead of just managers and security staff, it is also offering the training to every member of staff, from the cleaners who enter guest rooms every day to engineers who fix broken heating systems, and bellhops who overhear conversations in corridors and elevators.
While there was no standard protocol on reporting previously, staff who have received the training are now asked to alert their manager if they see suspicious activities. In other words, Marriott is training its staff to be the eyes and ears of its hotels to spot sex trafficking.
Read more about hotel companies' sex trafficking awareness training in the Quartz article here.