ABSTRACT
Human traffickers do not work alone. They rely on many other industries to facilitate their criminal activity, including the hospitality industry. Hotels and motels are a major segment of the hospitality industry prone to various forms of trafficking in persons (TIP). Guest privacy, anonymity, and the unpreparedness of employees to recognize signs of TIP (especially in small and medium hotels and motels) make hotels and motels specifically vulnerable to infiltration by trafficking groups who exploit victims for sex or forced labor. Based on a qualitative analysis of select jurisprudence in the United States and secondary literature on the topic, this chapter provides a comprehensive account of what makes hotels and motels critical sites for sex trafficking. It also discusses the liability of the hotel industry for this crime and evaluates the responsibility of the hotel industry to fight TIP and good practices implemented to date.
