Marriott International Launches HotelHelp Program to Support Human Trafficking Survivors
New initiative furthers company’s commitment to anti-trafficking and survivor empowerment
(IN SHORT) Marriott International has launched HotelHelp, a program donating short-term emergency hotel stays to human trafficking survivors. Piloted in five U.S. cities and set to expand to 25 cities by January 2025, the initiative partners with care providers to offer safe accommodations. Modeled after a successful program aiding Ukrainian refugees, HotelHelp supports Marriott’s broader anti-trafficking efforts, including extensive employee training. This initiative aligns with Marriott’s commitment to human rights and sustainable tourism.
(PRESS RELEASE) Bethesda, MD, 2024-Jul-31 — /Travel PR News/ — At the AHLA Foundation’s third annual No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit, coinciding with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Marriott International announced the pilot launch of HotelHelp. This new initiative donates short-term emergency hotel stays to survivors of human trafficking through a collaboration between Marriott’s portfolio of hotels and established care providers.
The HotelHelp program is initially being piloted in five U.S. cities: Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., with plans to expand to 25 cities across North America by January 2025. The long-term vision includes scaling the program globally and involving other hotel companies to support various vulnerable communities needing temporary accommodations.
Anthony Capuano, President and CEO of Marriott International, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Survivors of human trafficking often face a shortage of dedicated shelter beds, increasing their risk of being re-trafficked. We are proud to bridge this gap with safe, short-term accommodations and look forward to partnering with other hotel companies to extend this effort.”
HotelHelp is modeled after the successful HospitalityHelps program, which provided short-term stays for Ukrainian refugees. In its first three months, HospitalityHelps facilitated over 100,000 room nights across 630 hotels, including significant contributions from Marriott properties. HotelSwaps, a partner in HospitalityHelps, continues to support the development and operation of HotelHelp.
On the HotelHelp platform, care and service providers can reserve up to five room nights per person, maintaining the confidentiality of survivors. The program fosters collaboration between providers and participating hotels, encouraging localized solutions for each stay.
This initiative follows Marriott’s national expansion of the Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum, in partnership with the University of Maryland’s SAFE Center. Since its launch in July 2023, over 160 survivors have been trained across 11 U.S. cities. Marriott and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation have jointly contributed $550,000 to support survivor employability.
Marriott’s commitment to human rights includes training all on-property associates in human trafficking awareness by 2025. Since 2016, over 1.3 million associates have been trained, with Marriott’s donated training modules completed more than 1.6 million times industry-wide through PACT. The enhanced training is also available globally through the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
For more information on Marriott International’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit Welcome All and Advance Human Rights on the Marriott International Serve360 platform.
ABOUT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL
Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,900 properties across more than 30 leading brands in 141 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Bernice Chan
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Marriott International
bernice.chan@marriott.com
Source: Marriott International, Inc.
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