Oshkosh Travel Agency Spearheads Fight Against Human Trafficking Before NFL Draft

An Oshkosh-based travel agency is increasing awareness about the signs of human trafficking in anticipation of the NFL Draft in Green Bay scheduled for April.

Fox World Travel organized an event on January 10 to showcase a toolkit launched last year. This toolkit comprises flyers, social media materials, and guidance on how to respond to suspected human trafficking cases. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families has also provided a manual outlining potential indicators of child sex trafficking and exploitation.

Kelly Chartre, the vice president of marketing and head of community engagement and philanthropy at Fox World Travel, conveyed to WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that this information extends beyond the draft in April.

“It’s not specifically the draft events. It’s predominantly the influx of people,” Chartre remarked. “Regardless of the major event in Wisconsin, that truly presents an opportunity for traffickers as they blend in among large crowds. The focus must be on prevention and education.”

Chartre discusses with WPR’s Kate Archer Kent how entities such as hotels and travel professionals can fight against human trafficking.

The following has been modified for clarity and conciseness.

KAK: I was recently in a hotel in New York, and there were multiple warning signs regarding human trafficking visible in the lobby. It seemed like the hotel was making a genuine effort. Is this kind of initiative common for hotels?

Kelly Chartre: That’s common in hotels and airports. You should be vigilant for signs such as: individuals appearing distressed, disoriented, or lacking control over their identification documents. Those behaviors should alert us to consider, “Is this a situation I should be concerned about?”

Staff working at airports and hotels are specially trained on how to respond, where to report, and how to manage these situations, as these locations are commonly where these incidents occur. It is indeed commonplace for this to happen in airports and hotels … without the intervention of local hotel employees, such protection is not readily available.

KAK: How can the hospitality sector lead in this area and assist other businesses in addressing this issue?

KC: I appreciate that hotels proactively engage in communication. Ultimately, it boils down to sustaining that message and keeping it visible for hotel patrons.

Some indicators to monitor within the hotel context include: if rooms are being cleaned more frequently than normal, a significant amount of linens and towels being removed from rooms, or a noticeable increase in people entering and exiting rooms repeatedly. These truly are signs that we should all be alert to, and hotel staff are comprehensively trained in this regard.

Thus, the emphasis is on communication … it truly revolves around awareness, training, knowledge, and uniting as a community.

KAK: What policies and practices would you like to see adopted by other businesses and industries to enhance the prevention of human trafficking?

KC: I’m not entirely sure that this is tied to specific industries, as many of us travel for various reasons. It could be someone from Appleton visiting Green Bay for the day for leisure, or individuals embarking on spring break trips.

To me, it’s crucial to collaborate and be mindful of our surroundings, definitely leaning more towards taking action if there’s uncertainty. Because frequently we find ourselves wondering, “Is that … could that be? I wonder if?” If it were my family involved, I would definitely wish for a stranger to act carefully.

Editor’s note: Fox World Travel serves as the contracted travel agency for the Universities of Wisconsin. WPR is an initiative of UW-Madison.