DALLAS – JULY 30, 2019 – G6 Hospitality LLC, the parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the United States and Canada, today announced a partnership to help combat commercial sexual exploitation of children by signing ECPAT’s Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct (The Code). The announcement comes on a day designated by the United Nations as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
The Code is a joint venture of the tourism and hospitality sectors and ECPAT-USA, a leader in advocacy and efforts to shape policy designed to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Built upon a set of shared business principles that travel-related organizations put in place to prevent human trafficking and exploitation, The Code establishes a framework for companies to provide training, education, and collaboration with other stakeholders.
“ECPAT-USA is proud to welcome G6 Hospitality as our newest corporate partner and member of The Code,” said Michelle Guelbart, Director of Private Sector Engagement at ECPAT-USA. “As a leader in the economy lodging space, G6 Hospitality will bring an important perspective to our work to end child exploitation and sex trafficking.”
In addition to its partnership with ECPAT-USA, G6 Hospitality requires trafficking awareness and prevention training of all team members at all locations, both owned and franchised. The company also mandates human trafficking prevention training developed by the non-profit Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) and sponsored by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). This training teaches team members how to recognize and report human trafficking.
“When hotel employees are trained to recognize and report potential human trafficking situations, it can make all the difference in the life of someone who is being trafficked,” said Mar Brettmann, PhD, executive director for BEST. “Our training clearly explains the risks and indicators of human trafficking, and how hotel employees can report incidents to managers.”
G6 Hospitality teams regularly assess properties to ensure safety and security measures are in place and training is completed and takes action, up to and including terminating contracts or closing locations, as appropriate. The company is an active member of American Hotel and Lodging Association and its industry-wide No Room for Trafficking campaign.
“Organizations in the travel industry are often on the front lines of this deeply troubling issue. Our partnerships with ECPAT-USA and others are critically important as we come together to fight back against trafficking and exploitation in all its forms,” said Rob Palleschi, CEO of G6 Hospitality.
Members of The Code include more than 40 of the world’s leading travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses. To learn more, visit www.TheCode.org.
About G6 Hospitality
G6 Hospitality LLC owns, operates, and franchises more than 1,400 economy lodging locations under the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the United States and Canada and the Hotel 6 brand in India. Having opened its 1,000th franchise location in 2018, G6 also has plans to franchise the Hotel 6 and Estudio 6 brands in Central America. Headquartered in Dallas (Carrollton), Texas, G6 Hospitality recently placed 73rd in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 40th Annual Franchising 500. The company has also been named a “Best for Vets” employer by Military Times and in 2018 was inducted into the Military Spouses Employment Partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. For more information, please visit www.g6hospitality.com.
About ECPAT-USA
ECPAT-USA is the leading anti-child trafficking policy organization in the United States seeking to end the commercial, sexual exploitation of children through awareness, advocacy, policy, and legislation. ECPAT-USA is a member of ECPAT International, a network of organizations in more than 90 countries with one common mission: to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children. For more information, visit www.ecpatusa.org.
About The Code
The Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, known as The Code, is the world’s first and only voluntary set of business principles that travel companies can implement to prevent child trafficking. The Code provides awareness, tools, and support to travel companies, with the aim of creating a highly aware and well-trained tourism industry that can recognize and prevent potential abuse. Since its launch in 2004, more than 40 US companies have joined The Code, including some of the world’s most notable airlines, hotels, and travel management companies. To learn more, visit www.ecpatusa.org/Code.
About Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST)
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization with the mission to align and equip leaders to use the power of business to prevent human trafficking. BEST is the first organization in the country dedicated entirely to working with businesses to disrupt human trafficking. BEST has provided consultation and training to hundreds of businesses on how to prevent human trafficking, and they have trained thousands of hotel employees in how to protect their hotel from human trafficking. For more information, visit www.bestalliance.org.
