Bring a first time guest free!

ECPAT-USA and the Travel Industry Take on Trafficking and Child Exploitation

 Around the world, citizens are enjoying increasing mobility. The anonymity provided by cyberspace, coupled with the ease at which travelers can now access children in every part of the world means that youth are now more vulnerable than ever. In response, corporate social responsibility has been a cornerstone of private sector involvement when it comes to protecting the rights of children from sexual exploitation. 

And ECPAT expert will provide a landscape of the issue and lead a discussion about human trafficking and child exploitation and the role the travel industry can play in combatting it. You will also get a chance to pose specific questions about how to pitch this topic to your senior leadership and how your company can uniquely address the issue.

Michelle Guelbart, MSW Director of Private Sector Engagement

Michelle leads program development and strategy for ECPAT-USA’s private sector work. As Director of Private Sector Engagement she advises companies on corporate social responsibility efforts to protect children from trafficking. Michelle provides support and recommendations to ECPAT-USA partners including Carlson Companies, Delta Air Lines, Wyndham Worldwide, Sabre, and Hilton Worldwide. This includes expert consultation for corporate policy development, programs, training, and workshops. In addition, she is frequently asked to provide input during discussions between socially responsible investors and corporations. 

Michelle presents her work and recommendations to local, international, and federal government agencies as well as industry professionals. She has contributed to Congressional testimony and multi-stakeholder engagement efforts including through the World Economic Forum, Institute of Medicine, and the White House National Action Plan on Responsible Business. Michelle wrote the content for the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute’s e-learning module to combat child sex trafficking in the United States. She has been interviewed on her work by CNN, New York Times, Travel Weekly, Business Travel News, among other publications and was named a Changemaker by MeetingsNet and highlighted as MeetGreen Hero.

Michelle received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University’s School of Social Work with a focus in international social work and social policy