Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1082991
OPINION 27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 FEBRUARY 2019 The tourism industry: a means to prevent human trafficking Julia Farrugia Portelli Julia Farrugia Portelli is Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Citizenship I was present during all the past editions of the Mediterra- nean Tourism Forum. Unfor- tunately, like many others who are currently sick at home, I had to miss this year's edi- tion. I was looking forward to attend in order to discuss the role of the private sector in the fight against human traffick- ing. In the past few years, Malta had to update its approach to- wards legal migration in order to reflect the socio-economic realities of our society. All of these changes are related to one of the important reforms currently being undertaken by the Government – the reform on trafficking in human be- ings. Human trafficking is a form of violence against humans. It is rooted in a number of causes, not least the exploita- tion of workers at the place of work. The Sustainable De- velopment Goals link decent employment conditions to human trafficking in a very explicit manner. They require countries to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Mediterranean Tourism Forum is an ideal opportunity to discuss this international challenge. The crime in- volves the act of recruiting or transferring a person, the means and the exploitation for labour or sexual purposes. In many instances, the means does not necessarily involve fraud, violence, coercion or threats. It may only require the consent of the most vulnerable members of our societies. Sometimes we tend to under- estimate the exposure of the tourism sector to both labour and sex trafficking. Moreover, albeit not part of the tour- ism industry directly, other businesses rely on the tourism sector as their main buyer of the goods and services they produce. We have heard how operators are having no choice other than seeking foreign labour. At the same time, the industry is still grappling with establishing a fine line be- tween adult entertainment and sexual exploitation. Just like all other profitable sectors of the economy, tour- ism businesses experience vul- nerabilities which essentially could give rise to human traf- ficking. Governments and the private industry have a very important choice to make. We can choose to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that human trafficking does not exist. Some of us may close their eyes to the problem in their pursuit of short-term gains. Alternatively, we may accept the fact that crime has no borders, that there is not a single country in the world which is free from human trafficking, and that countries need to work together to com- bat this modern plague. Even if we had to ignore the negative impacts of this prob- lem on individual lives and the overall well-being of society, we have to reflect about the sustainability of our indus- tries. One of the underlying principles of the government's successful economic strategy is the maintenance of a level playing field in the business sector. Human trafficking puts seri- ous businesses at a disadvan- tage. It promotes exploitation over productivity and staff retention, and labour turnover instead of retention, training and development. Tourism businesses have the potential to create pathways for the most vulnerable members of our societies to stand up and reduce their chances of being trafficked. Businesses are understanding that the exposure to human trafficking in their opera- tions may put their profits on the line. Their clients would not support practices which trample upon the dignity of the human being. Meanwhile, non-government organisations are influencing hotel chains in different areas of the world to establish their own anti- trafficking practices in their procurement, recruitment and hotel usage procedures. We live in one of the most dynamic regions of the world. The Arab Spring, the financial and economic turmoil in the Southern European countries and the refugee crisis have all tested the resilience of our nations. We cannot say that we have emerged out of these crises unscratched. In spite of that, the Mediterranean tourism industry has stood strong as a major source of employment, development and economic growth. I believe that the Mediter- ranean region can be a catalyst for change at the international sphere. We can rise to the oc- casion and make our tourism industry an effective means to prevent human trafficking. Tourism businesses have the potential to create pathways for the most vulnerable members of our societies to stand up and reduce their chances of being traff icked Just like all other profitable sectors of the economy, tourism businesses experience vulnerabilities which essentially could give rise to human trafficking. Governments and the private industry have a very important choice to make