AH&LA and NAESV to address sexual violence in the hospitality industry and offer tips to combat this issue

Washington, D.C., 2016-Dec-14 — /Travel PR News/ — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) today ( December 9, 2016) announced a new partnership to continue the hotel industry’s long-standing efforts to raise awareness of sexual violence and provide hotel operators with new training tools and resources to educate employees on identifying and reporting sexual harassment and assault. In the coming weeks, NAESV will work with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute to produce a 30-minute online training program to address the issue of sexual violence in the hospitality industry and offer tips to combat this issue.

“The safety and security of our employees and guests is paramount for our industry and the issue of sexual violence is one we have always taken very seriously,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). “We are excited to partner with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence on an issue of common concern that we continue to act vigilantly to thwart and prevent while providing more training and information tailored to the hospitality business. As an industry, we are committed to ensuring hotel employers and operators have these necessary tools and resources to educate employees on guidelines and best practices to help avoid unsafe situations, protect themselves and guests from harassment, assaults or injuries, and respond to and report any kind of inappropriate behavior or misconduct. This new partnership will further augment our long-standing commitment to raise awareness and combat sexual violence across the country.”

“We all have responsibility to support survivors and prevent sexual violence, and employers are an essential part of the equation. We commend the American Hotel & Lodging Association, especially given their broad reach, for taking this proactive step and joining with us to be part of the solution,” said NAESV President Monika Johnson Hostler.

This new training is among many resources AHLA and our educational arm, AHLEI, have developed over the years to ensure general managers and hotel operators have the tools and information they need to educate their employees about sexual harassment and assault. Indeed, the past several years, AHLA, ECPAT-USA, and Polaris have partnered to raise awareness and combat human trafficking, and in turn, equip and empower hotel employees to respond and take action to stop such heinous crimes. Learn more at www.ahlei.org.

Objectives of the Online Training:

• Define sexual violence, rape culture, and consent
• Understand the scope of the problem and who is affected
• Identify the myths associated with sexual assault
• Recognize the signs of sexual violence
• Understand how to be a good bystander and know how to offer support to someone who has been sexually assaulted
• Explain the role of hospitality employees in helping create a safe, supportive environment

Get the Facts on Sexual Violence:

One in five women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Nearly one in two women have experienced other forms of sexual violence. One in five men have experienced a form of sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime. More than 80 percent of cases are not reported, and the negative impacts of rape on victims are going unaddressed.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Association

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 8 million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry that advances long-term career opportunities for employees, invests in local communities across the country and hosts more than one billion guests’ stays in American hotels every year. AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and contributes nearly $170 billion to the U.S. economy. Learn more at www.AHLA.com.

About the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) is the voice in Washington for the 56 state and territorial sexual assault coalitions and 1300 rape crisis centers working to end sexual violence and support survivors. The local rape crisis centers in our network see every day the widespread and devastating impacts of sexual assault upon survivors and provide the frontline response in their communities. The Alliance advocates on behalf of the victim/survivors—women, children and men—who have needlessly suffered the serious trauma of sexual violence and envisions a world free from sexual violence.

Media Contact:

Rosanna Maietta
senior vice president of communications and public relations
rmaietta@AHLA.com
(202) 289-3144

Katie Longo
senior director of government affairs communications
klongo@AHLA.com
(202) 289-3148.

Source: American Hotel & Lodging Association

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