Paraskevas, Alexandros ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1556-5293 (2026) The Human Trafficking Threat Landscape in Hospitality, Tourism and Aviation: H1 2026. Technical Report. University of West London.

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Abstract

This is the first edition in a new series from the International Centre for Hospitality and Aviation Resilience Management (ICHARM). It looks at how human trafficking shows up in hospitality, tourism, events and aviation in the first half of 2026.

It is written for general managers, corporate responsibility officers, risk leaders and CSR leads. These are the people who carry a duty of care to guests, workers and anyone moved through their premises against their will.

The report gives you sector risk profiles, reporting contacts for the UK, US and other countries, forecasts for the second half of the year, priority actions by role, and free training resources. The information comes from documented cases in open datasets. It does not try to count every victim.

A few things to keep in mind about the numbers. Headline figures reflect enforcement activity, not the true scale of the problem. Regional desks balance the heavy volume of US cases. Some countries released data late. US statistics are still unpublished. Coverage is thinner for Africa, the Middle East and Asia. All cases are labelled alleged as of 30 June 2026.

The report covers how exploitation appears in different sectors, subcontractor chains, recruitment lures, scam compounds, mega‑events, coercion indicators, duty of care, liability and regulatory exposure.

Seven findings stand out. Law enforcement is increasingly targeting hospitality operators, with sentences of up to 32 years. Forced labour runs through subcontractor chains. Forced criminal work in scam compounds involves air travel and genuine tourist visas. Large events attract enforcement attention, though not proven victim numbers. FinCEN and FINTRAC have put the sectors on notice. Regulation has diverged, with stricter anti‑trafficking rules sitting alongside lighter EU due‑diligence duties and a 2027 forced‑labour goods ban. Detection now depends on coercion, not commercial sex.

For practitioners, safeguarding comes first. This means do‑not‑confront welfare checks and reporting channels that cannot be blocked. Governance comes next, supported by records that would stand up in court. Training must cover coercion indicators. Procurement and compliance share the same supply‑chain exposure. Franchisors, platforms and brand head offices carry greater responsibility. Financial notices mean that training and escalation records now count as a legal defence, and published training numbers give you a benchmark to compare your efforts against industry standards.

Item Type:	Report (Technical Report)
Subjects:	Hospitality and tourism > Tourism > Aviation Law and criminal justice Hospitality and tourism
Related URLs:	https://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/uwl/files/20...
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2026
Dates:	Date Publication status 22 September 2026 Published
School, department or research centre:	London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism ICHARM (International Centre for Hospitality and Aviation Resilience Management)
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/15495
Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

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