WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the newly-formed Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, addressed the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) as a keynote speaker and discussed issues related to the hospitality industry, with a specific focus on preventing human trafficking.
“COVID-19 poses significant challenges for Nevada’s economy. Far too many Nevadans who built careers in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries are out of work, and our communities are hurting,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “As we work to overcome this pandemic and its effects on this industry, I am so pleased that the American Hotel and Lodging Association is continuing to combat another issue that is severe and pervasive in our communities – human trafficking.”
“Many of our state’s businesses have signed the U.S. Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, a set of business principles that travel and tour companies can implement to prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking of children,” Senator Rosen continued. “I’m so glad to see the work that the American Hotel and Lodging Association is doing to combat this serious and urgent issue through your No Room for Human Trafficking initiative. By providing awareness, education, and aid – we can work together to create a world where human trafficking is a thing of the past. In Congress, I will continue working on this important issue.”
“AHLA was honored to have Senator Jacky Rosen headline our 2021 Safety Summit to discuss her continued leadership on critical topics facing our industry including the fight to end human trafficking. To bolster her work, and the work of so many others, AHLA and the AHLA Foundation are uniting the industry around one comprehensive approach to prevent human trafficking with the goal of training every employee in the industry through our No Room for Trafficking Program,” said Chip Rogers, President & CEO of AHLA. “We thank Senator Rosen for her tireless advocacy on key issues facing our industry and her leadership as Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion. We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Rosen as our industry works to recover and we remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure there is No Room for Trafficking.”
BACKGROUND: Senator Rosen led an appropriation letter for FY 2021 to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, requesting robust funding for the Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking. This funding was included in the final spending bill.
Yesterday, Rosen who is Chair of the newly-formed Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, convened the Subcommittee’s inaugural hearing entitled, “The State of Travel and Tourism During COVID.” The hearing examined the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry, focusing on hotels, conventions, and the broader hospitality industry. The hearing also reviewed the regional impacts of COVID on tourism-heavy economies and communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic’s economic downturn.
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