In association with three partners, the Oxford School of Hospitality Management at Oxford Brookes University has secured £250,000 from the European Commission to undertake a project focused on combatting human trafficking in the hospitality and tourism industries. The principal investigator will be Professor Alex Paraskevas of the University of West London, who will be working with Professor Simonetta Manfredi and Dr Maureen Brookes of Oxford Brookes University, as well as colleagues from Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the Ratiu Centre for Democracy in Romania.

The problem of trafficking in human beings is particularly prevalent in Central and South Eastern Europe. A significant proportion of trafficking is done through travel and tourism businesses (such as travel agencies, airlines and hotels) which, by their nature, facilitate the movement and accommodation of traffickers and their victims. This European Commission funded project will produce a comprehensive tool kit that will help tourism businesses combat human trafficking through changes in business practice at strategic, management and operational levels. It will enable the identification, deterrence and prevention of trafficking; will encourage stakeholder partnerships so as to raise awareness of the problem; and will establish policies and communications' structures that allow safer reporting of and response to trafficking incidents. The finalised toolkit will be presented to industry and the press, and a public lecture will be held in Oxford as a means of reaching human rights groups and a wider public audience.

About The Oxford School of Hospitality Management 

The Oxford School of Hospitality Management is a leading provider of higher education in the field of international hospitality and tourism management. The School has achieved an international reputation for teaching excellence and innovation, as well as strong links with business and industry. The School is ranked in the top three hospitality schools in the world (Worldwide Hospitality School Awards 2016) and top in the UK for student satisfaction (KIS data, 2016).

For more information visit http://hospitality.brookes.ac.uk/

Jan Laver
001865 483813
Oxford Brookes