Marriott International organised and took part in a series of industry exchanges aimed at strengthening the hospitality sector’s response to human trafficking, ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. These discussions, bringing together leading travel companies, non-profit partners, survivors and Marriott associates, focused on evolving training approaches, sector-wide collaboration and workforce pathways for survivors.
The Group hosted a meeting organised by Business for Social Responsibility at its global headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, bringing together more than twenty representatives from hospitality and travel companies, as well as organisations such as Polaris and the AHLA Foundation. The discussions focused on how the sector can better understand and address human rights risks, particularly around major international events.
Since its launch nearly ten years ago, Marriott’s human trafficking awareness programme had been completed by more than 1.7 million associates as of the end of 2025. The Group has also made the programme freely available across the wider hospitality industry, enabling more than 2.7 million additional completions among professionals and community members outside Marriott.
Beyond awareness training, Marriott has developed two programmes to support survivors: HotelHelp, which offers short-term emergency shelter through a network of participating hotels, and the Future in Training (FiT) programme, focused on long-term economic empowerment. Launched as a pilot in 2024, HotelHelp has expanded to 64 hotels across 14 North American markets, having provided more than 500 room nights and supported more than 150 survivors.
“Putting people first is at the heart of who we are. HotelHelp allows hotels to put that commitment into action,” said Tricia Primrose, EVP and Chief Global Communications & Public Affairs Officer at Marriott.
Launched as a pilot in 2022, the FiT programme has trained nearly 1,000 human trafficking survivors, with a 98% satisfaction rate according to early surveys of participants. The programme continues to expand in Canada, Thailand and the United States. Both initiatives support Marriott’s goal of educating 300,000 people through its programmes and community partnerships, and supporting 1,000 trafficking survivors between 2026 and 2030.
At a Glance
Marriott International — Anti-Trafficking Initiatives
AdvertisementHosted industry convening with BSR, Polaris and the AHLA Foundation ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
Human trafficking awareness training completed by 1.7M+ Marriott associates; 2.7M+ additional completions industry-wide via free access
HotelHelp: emergency shelter program, 64 hotels across 14 North American markets, 500+ room nights, 150+ survivors supported
Future in Training (FiT): workforce readiness curriculum, ~1,000 survivors trained since 2022, expanding in Canada, Thailand and the US
Goal: educate 300,000 people and support 1,000 trafficking survivors between 2026 and 2030
