SHERIDAN, WYOMING - January 29, 2026 - Hilton, Hyatt and IHG Hotels & Resorts jointly launched a comprehensive human trafficking prevention training program designed to strengthen awareness, preparedness and response across the global hospitality sector. For the first time, the three major hotel groups collaborated on a shared, survivor-informed curriculum that will be made available free of charge to independent hotel owners, operators and brands throughout 2026. The initiative addressed a critical operational and ethical challenge for hospitality businesses, providing standardized tools and guidance to support frontline teams and reinforce industry-wide prevention efforts.
A First-of-Its-Kind Industry Collaboration
The training marked the first collective initiative of its kind involving Hilton, Hyatt and IHG, setting aside competitive considerations in favor of a unified industry response. The collaboration aimed to ensure consistent, high-quality training access for hospitality professionals regardless of brand affiliation, helping to establish common standards across a highly fragmented sector.
Developed in partnership with Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) and Unboxed Training & Technology, the program reflected a shared commitment to scalable, practical education that could be deployed across diverse hotel operating models. The curriculum was made available in both English and Spanish to support broad adoption across global workforces.
Survivor-Informed Design and Practical Delivery
PACT served as the training administrator and provided subject-matter expertise grounded in survivors' lived experiences. The curriculum leveraged live-action video storytelling to enhance engagement and realism, enabling hotel employees to better recognize indicators of trafficking and understand appropriate response protocols.
Unboxed Training & Technology acted as the strategic learning design partner, working with the hotel companies to deliver a multilingual, digital-first experience aligned with shared industry standards. Participants received technical support, scheduled reminders to encourage completion and a certificate upon successful completion, supporting consistent uptake across organizations.
Integration With Industry-Wide Anti-Trafficking Efforts
The collaboration aligned closely with the AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) initiative, which seeks to unite the hospitality industry against human trafficking. Hilton, Hyatt and IHG are all represented on the NRFT Advisory Council, which plays a central role in shaping and advancing the sector's coordinated response.
The new training will be featured alongside existing industry programs, including the training launched by Marriott International that has been completed more than 2.6 million times by hospitality employees since 2020. Together, these initiatives form a growing ecosystem of shared resources aimed at improving awareness, prevention and survivor support across hotel operations.
Leadership Perspectives on Collective Responsibility
"This collaboration shows that together, we can achieve more than any of us could alone," said Katherine Lugar, EVP, corporate affairs, Hilton and president, Hilton Global Foundation, "Today, we're putting competition aside and partnering across the industry to ensure every hospitality professional has access to the most up to date information and tools they need to recognize, respond and report instances of trafficking."
"By listening to survivors and learning from hotel teams on the ground, we gained invaluable insights into where guidance could be strengthened to deepen the impact of our existing training," said Joan Bottarini, CFO, Hyatt and chair of AHLAF's NRFT Advisory Council. "That understanding helped us shape and design an updated training to better support and equip hotel teams in real-world situations."
"This partnership succeeded because we shared a commitment to turn an idea into action, together," said Rani Hammond, SVP, global human resources, IHG Hotels & Resorts. "By uniting around a common purpose, we've created a new, survivor-informed resource that can empower hotel teams to make a real difference in preventing human trafficking."
Operational Relevance for Hotel Owners and Operators
For hotel owners and operators, the training provided a practical, no-cost resource that could be integrated into existing onboarding and compliance frameworks. Standardized content helped reduce duplication of effort while supporting consistent operational practices across brands and independent properties alike.
The timing of the launch also reflected growing operational complexity, as the hospitality industry prepared to host large-scale events in the United States during 2026. Such events increase demand for accommodation while elevating the importance of vigilance and staff readiness in identifying and responding to potential trafficking situations.
Reinforcing ESG Commitments Across Hospitality
The initiative underscored how social responsibility and operational readiness increasingly intersect within hospitality ESG strategies. By investing collectively in prevention training, the participating companies reinforced their commitment to responsible business practices while supporting frontline employees with actionable tools.
"As an industry, we'll continue to play a leading role in human trafficking prevention," said Kevin Carey, president and CEO of the AHLA Foundation. "Through the AHLA Foundation's NRFT initiative, our mission is to convene the industry to elevate awareness of the crisis of human trafficking, educate the industry and support survivors on their path forward."
Hospitality professionals can access the training and additional resources at https://courses.wearepact.org/preventing-human-trafficking.