Insider | Summer 2023

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I’m always more than a little shocked to turn my calendar to June and realize how quickly another year is speeding past! We have welcomed new employees, members and partners, introduced new programs and benefits, and fought numerous legislative battles—some of those that are not so new!

You will see more detail on our legislative battles later in the magazine, but a few monthly highlights from this year so far include:

• A very successful Restaurant Week South Carolina campaign in January, which featured more than 150 restaurants in nine cities across the state and the addition of signature cocktails with Tito's Handmade Vodka, Avitation Gin and Bulleit Bourbon.

• Celebrating 26 honorees at our annual Stars of the Industry Awards Gala at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston on February 20. We hear stories about your great teams yearround and hope you will nominate them for these special awards in 2024.

• Welcoming more than 100 ProStart Students to Myrtle Beach to wow us again with their culinary and restaurant management skills at the South Carolina ProStart Invitational Anderson Career & Technology Center took home top honors in the Culinary Competition, while and Golden Strip claimed the top spot in Management. Both schools traveled to Washington in May to compete against teams from 46 states and admirably finished 4th in culinary and 20th in management.

• Hosting the ever-popular Hospitality Day at the State House in April and seeing industry leaders come together to remind our guests from the state legislature of the economic importance of hospitality and tourism in South Carolina.

• Traveling to Washington, D.C. in May to join our partners at AHLA for Hotels on the Hill and visiting with five members of our delegation to discuss issues at the federal level. In June we will repeat this trip for the National Restaurant Association's Public Affairs Conference and share similar discussions with a restaurant focus.

The second half of the year will offer additional new opportunities to engage; whether it is by attending one of our second year of Community Conversations (dates TBA), competing in the SCRLF's Hospitality Leaders Golf Tournament at the beautiful Reserve Club at Woodside on September 11, or joining us at the Hyatt Regency Greenville October 15-17 for the 4th Annual Marketing and Operations Conference. Conference planning has commenced and we think you will love the new format and six educational tracks to be featured!

As always, this is your Association and we value your ideas and input. Please call or email our staff any time with your ideas and/or questions.

Wishing all of you happy, safe and healthy summer!

Susan H. Cohen President & CEO

MEET YOUR SCRLA TEAM & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Susan Cohen President & CEO

Douglas OFlaherty Chief Operating Officer

Hank Davis VP of Governmental Affairs & Community Development

Lenza Jolley VP of Membership & Development

Chris Patel Membership Services Manager

AnnMarie McManus Meetings & Events Manager

Christal VanWickler Bookkeeper/Education Coordinator

Victoria Tobin

Executive Director, Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association

Carl Sobocinski

Chairman Table 301

Tony Tam Vice Chairman IMIC Hotels

Sam Agee Treasurer Gateway Hospitality

Michael Frits

Immediate Past Chairman DoubleTree by Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

Members

Heidi Vukov, Croissants Bakery & Bistro

Jonathan Sullivan, Beaufort Inn

Chad Patterson, Raldex Hospitality

Gil Smith, US Foods

Kirk Watkins, Ruth's Chris Steak House Greenville

Team South Carolina Shines at National ProStart Invitational

Anderson Career & Technology Center (ACTC) and Golden Strip Career Center, both from the Upstate, recently competed in the National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C.

ACTC placed fourth in the National ProStart Invitational's Culinary Competition with their menu featuring sea scallops, pan seared squab and a deconstructed carrot cake.

Team South Carolina battled more than 400 competitors at the 2023 National ProStart Invitational earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Anderson Career and Technology Center (ACTC) placed fourth in the Culinary Arts Competition, while Golden Strip Career Center placed 20th in Restaurant Management.

The event featured a show-stopping display of culinary talent and restaurant business acumen by over 90 of the country’s best and brightest high school teams from 46 states. All students competing in the National ProStart Invitational earned their place by winning their state-level ProStart Invitational competitions

ACTC serves students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville, and Wren High Schools in the Anderson I & II School Districts. Golden Strip serves students from Hillcrest, Mauldin and J.L. Mann High Schools in Greenville County Schools.

Established in 1995 by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF), ProStart has equipped 1 million high school students to date with career ready culinary and restaurant management skills. Today, the program reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 schools, who emerge ready to build a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry. South Carolina ProStart was introduced in 1999 and reaches 54 schools statewide.

“The passion and talent displayed by the National ProStart Invitational competitors was truly awe-inspiring, giving us a front row seat to the next generation that will shape our industry,” said NRAEF President Rob Gifford. “Thanks to the daily work of our educators, ProStart is equipping these students with crucial

career-building skills that will enhance their lives in the industry, or wherever their futures take them.”

The National ProStart Invitational is a high-stakes competition between some of the best culinary and restaurant management students in the country. Students on the culinary teams had 60 minutes to prepare a three course, fine dining menu, using only two butane burners and no running water. The management teams persuaded a panel of judges that their innovative restaurant business pitches had the chops to succeed in the real world.

Going head-to-head against 45 fellow teams, ACTC’s menu consisted of sea scallops with potato croquettes and a spring vegetable salad as a starter, and pan-seared squab with creamy parsnip puree, braised turnip greens, and a fig reduction sauce to follow. They completed their menu with a deconstructed carrot cake with cream cheese whipped ganache, pineapple cream and carrot sorbet.

More than 70 industry and post-secondary judges were on hand to select the winning teams. Students were evaluated on their uniform and professional appearance, teamwork, decision making ability, product taste, and overall menu appeal. The top 10 winning teams earned more than $200,000 in scholarships.

South Carolina’s Educator of Excellence nominee, Kimberly Bush, will travel to Dallas, TX in July for the Educator of Excellence Awards Ceremony and ProStart professional development training. Bush, a ProStart instructor at South Aiken High School, is recognized for sharing her experiences in the hospitality industry and her contributions to culinary education.

Management Concept: Yūga Hana

We welcome you to walk with us as we transcend your mind and soul to introduce you to Yūga Hana, a new full-service Japanese restaurant concept in ProStartville. Yūga Hana [yoo-guh H AA - n uh] translated to English means elegant/graceful craft/work. The cuisine from Japan encompasses a unique approach to gastronomy by combining a world of exotic ingredients and aromatic spices to create truly inspiring dishes. When you think of Japanese food, chances are that your first thought is a colorful sushi roll; here at Yūga Hana we are bringing you great sushi and so much more. The professional staff at the restaurant strives to provide excellent, traditional Japanese cuisine in a comfortable environment. Our focus will be on quality ingredients, talented staff members, and our impact on the community. The restaurant is a stand-alone, full-service operation located in the heart of the main street, in the business district of ProStarville. Our well-curated menu features many authentic Japanese dishes which are elevated versions of classic street foods around Japan. For example, our Tonkatsu Curry: a fried pork cutlet on a bed of sushi rice with Japanese red curry and sweet shredded cabbage. As with the Japanese culture, the menu also has multiple options for those with specific dietary needs. Some dietary restriction options are our: Futomaki Roll, Sushi Boat, Mochi, and Coffee Jelly made with Agar-Agar. With the diversity of our products and ingredients, we are also able to prepare vegetarian and vegan items by substituting certain ingredients for alternative products, such as substituting chicken with tofu in the yakitori entrée.

Effective marketing is necessary for attracting new customers, increasing visibility, and generating revenue. Our marketing tactics will facilitate a connection with our guests and keep them coming back to the restaurant. We will achieve this by hosting educational events, like sushi classes, and hosting celebrations for traditional Japanese holidays like the Autumn Moon Festival.

The diversity of the population in Prostarville means that the restaurant has a greater customer base that is interested in our varied flavors. It will be important that we appeal to all types of clientele in our marketing and menu options. For example, offering items that are tamer in terms of flavor such as salt pork ramen, which is noodles in a clear pork broth. Many menu ingredients can be used to create special plates for guests that require them. We aspire to have a hospitable environment for everyone so to achieve this we must have a great first impression. Upon arrival the guest will be greeted by an employee with the utmost respect and kindness. The host will lead the guests into the dining room where they will see an inviting and natural atmosphere. A bonsai tree is a statement piece that is decorated with warm, gold fluorescents, and hanging lanterns. The earthy dark brown walls, adorned with pink cherry blossoms in the dining room will provide a warm and comfortable space. A painting of a gold river on the floor will be an additional showpiece running throughout the restaurant. In the center of the restaurant will be a working sushi bar where guests will be able to dine. There will also be event space with a private patio at the rear of the dining room. All this setup contributes to the customer’s experience, which will be an environment that is comfortable and inviting and where our guests receive exceptional service and meals. Through all this, we will provide our community with the best traditional Japanese experience with an elegance that they will come back to enjoy often.

Yūga Hana is a restaurant that strives to create a beautiful environment in which our guests can be regaled with echoes of traditional Japanese cuisine. We seek to educate the community about Japanese tradition and culture. Our authenticity and elegance set us apart from any other restaurant in Prostartville. Whether someone is stopping in for a quick lunch or staying for a fantastic dinner, Yūga Hana offers a flawless experience for regulars and newcomers alike.

SCRLA UPDATES

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation invites you to participate in the 2023 Hospitality Leaders Golf Tournament, presented by US Foods, at The Reserve Club at Woodside in Aiken on Monday, September 11.

The essence of The Reserve Club is the Reserve course, a superb Nicklaus Design. Upon its completion, the course was named by Golf Digest as one of the “Top Ten Best New Private Courses in America in 2003.” It has continually been named one of South Carolina’s top courses ever since. The course boasts a beautiful 6,995yard layout featuring rolling terrain with plush fairways and picturesque vistas. Golfers enjoy a relaxed pace of play around this breathtaking layout – a scene that only a true architect could create. From the first tee shot to the last putt, golfers are mesmerized by the beauty of the

layout and thrilled with the playability of the course. No matter your skill level The Reserve Course is a joy to play and keeps you wanting to come back more and more.

All proceeds from the tournament benefit the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation, the only charitable foundation in the state dedicated to building a strong, committed workforce for our industry through scholarships, school-to-career programs, and professional development.

There are a variety of ways to get involved with this exciting event. From diverse sponsorship opportunities available to playing in the tournament yourself, we hope to see you there! Learn more at SCRLA.org/events.

Transform your maintenance workforce through registered apprenticeship

To support the workforce needs of our industry, the AHLA Foundation is expanding its apprenticeship program to include a newly created maintenance track, which is approved by the Department of Labor.

Apprenticeship programs offer an effective way to attract new and diverse talent to the industry, move existing staff up the career ladder, and help ensure retention within your company. The maintenance track adds to AHLAF’s successful lodging manager and culinary programs.

Who Qualifies

Maintenance employee apprentices are selected from existing staff. They do not need any specific length of experience or expertise in building repairs to enroll. This program is ideal for individuals who will benefit from a structured training program, having a mentor on the job to support their learning, and for whom professional development will provide an accelerated pathway to career advancement.

How It Works

• Combination of on-the-job learning and selfstudy, resulting in a robust competency-based program

• Apprentices learn not just the fundamentals of being a maintenance worker, but also the essence of hospitality. They receive an industry-recognized certification upon completion.

• Typically takes around one year to complete

• Fully funded by a grant from the Department of Labor

Experience The Benefits

• Highly skilled employees

• Reduced turnover

• Higher productivity

• Scholarships for apprentices

Interested in Getting Involved?

Visit the AHLA Foundation website for more information on all three apprenticeship programs or contact Carrie Alexander at calexander@ahla.com.

Analysis and the Impact of the American Hotel Industry

People are the heart and soul of the hotel industry.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association and Oxford Economics recently released a detailed analysis documenting the economic impact of the American hotel industry. The study, which includes a breakdown of the hotel industry’s impact in every state and congressional district, provides a comprehensive look at how hotels are contributing to communities across the nation. It finds that in 2022:

• American hotels supported 8.3 million American jobs, which is equivalent to nearly one in 25 U.S. jobs

• Hotel guests spent a total of more than $691 billion on lodging, transportation, food and beverage, retail, and other expenses

• For each $100 of spending on lodging, hotel guests spent another $220 during their trip

• Hotels paid employees more than $104 billion in wages, salaries, and other compensation and supported $463 billion in total wages, salaries, and other compensation

• Hotels directly generated $72.4 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue and supported nearly $211.2 billion in total federal, state, and local tax revenue

Restaurant Job Growth Continues Nationwide Leading into Summer

Restaurants nationwide continued to boost employment with restaurants adding 24,800 jobs lin April, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Restaurants are expected to continue adding jobs in the months ahead, even if the overall economy slows.

With tens of thousands of jobs added every month so far this year—45,400 in February and 28,200 in March— the industry continues to hold the job creator mantle in the private sector as it gears up to add thousands of additional seasonal jobs this summer.

April’s job growth again highlights the strength of restaurants in the face of macroeconomic challenges, and represented the 28th consecutive month of payroll expansion in the restaurant industry.

Since 2021, the industry’s addition of more than 2.5 million jobs ranked as the economy’s top job creator, beating the professional and business services sector. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, the industry added nearly 180,000 jobs.

South Carolina has one of the 100 best restaurants for brunch

If you're craving brunch, OpenTable says head to Soby's New South Cuisine in Greenville.

Photos courtesy of Soby's New South Cuisine

The online reservation service puts Soby’s New South Cuisine in the top 100 brunch restaurants in the country.

It’s South Carolina’s only one to make the list.

OpenTable looks at reviews from real diners to pull together this list of best daytime dining spots, just in time for spring celebrations like graduation and Mother's Day.

Here’s how Soby’s describes itself on the Open Table website: “an eclectic blend of contemporary continental cuisine infused with traditional Southern ingredients, transforming old favorites into something fresh and new.”

Carl Sobocinski founded Soby’s New South Cuisine in 1997 back when downtown Greenville became a ghost town after 5 p.m. Department stores had fled to the mall. Other restaurants mainly catered to business people needing lunch.

He took what was once Cancellation Shoes and turned it into a cozy brick-walled space with a richly hued wooden bar and a class front that can be opened during warm weather. There is also a special table — 301 — that overlooks the kitchen.

As Sobocinski grew the business, opening new concepts around downtown, he took the name Table 301 as the parent company.

Soby’s says on Open Table, “The atmosphere is warm and energetic and the staff is well-trained to provide a fantastic dining experience for all of our guests. In addition, the wine list offers more than 500 selections and is a Wine Spectator Magazine award-winner regular.”

Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays with an a la carte menu of “Soby’s classics and Chef’s features” such as Fried Green Tomato Benedict, Challah French Toast, Croque Monsieur and biscuits and gravy and a favorite at brunch and dinner, shrimp and grits.

In case you were wondering if Greenville and its highly touted foodie scene have a bit of an image problem, Open Table lists Soby’s on its drop-down menu as being in Charleston but the accompanying map is definitely Greenville.

Currently serving as Chair of the SCRLA's Board of Directors, Sobocinski has been a spokesman for Greenville and the restaurant industry across the state and nation.

by Lynn Luc (@curatedwithlynn)

Photos

On April 19, the SCRLA hosted its annual Hospitality Day at the State House featuring a Taste of South Carolina. This event showcased 23 restaurants and ProStart schools from all across the state serving a small sample of their menus, while giving more than 2,000 SCRLA members a chance to show lawmakers the impact of our $22.6 billion industry.

Events such as this provide restaurant and hotel operators an opportunity to discuss important legislative issues with their elected officials and the laws being considered that directly impact their business.

A concurrent resolution was also introduced by Representative J.A. Moore and adopted by both the House and Senate to celebrate the $17.4B annual economic impact the industry has in our state.

We thank everyone who joined us at this year's event. We are already looking forward to April 24, 2024

First Session of the State Legislature's 125th General Assembly Comes to a Close

And just like that, another legislative session has come and gone at the State House in Columbia. At 5:00 p.m. on the second Thursday in May, the General Assembly is constitutionally mandated to formally adjourn. But that does not mean that work at the State House comes to a screeching halt – there is still plenty of work to do and issues critical to our industry that still need to be addressed. This year was the first time since 1938 that the General Assembly did not have a sine die resolution in place before adjournment, meaning the legislature will be immediately called back to Columbia by Governor McMaster for an "extraordinary session" to reconcile the state budget, tackle bond reform, illegal gun procession, and abortion legislation, among other topics. A sine die resolution is a piece of legislation that outlines which items of business the General Assembly can take up outside of regular session. Sine die resolutions typically include the state budget and other topics of state or national concern. Since legislative sessions at the General Assembly last two years, all legislation introduced this session is still active and the legislature can pick up right where they left off once they formally return to Columbia next January. Let’s jump right in and discuss what made it across the finish line this session and what is still working its way through the legislative process.

The workforce is one of the largest challenges currently facing our industry. One bill which should help raise the state’s low workforce participation rate is H. 3605. The new law will prevent the SC Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations from using a prior criminal conviction as the sole reason to disqualify a qualified individual from receiving a professional license, if the crime does not directly relate to the license being applied for. With 19% of SC men citing a prior criminal conviction as the sole reason they are not actively seeking employment; this

procedural change should bring about a significant increase to South Carolina's workforce.

S. 557, a tax credit for hiring apprentices, got caught in the political crossfire at the end of session, but ultimately did make it to the Governor’s desk awaiting to be signed into law. The House amended the bill with the tangentially related headquarters tax credit, which the Senate refused to consider. The proposal aims to incentivize greater employer participation in apprenticeship programs by increasing the apprentice income tax credit from $1,000 per apprentice to a maximum of $4,000 for adults, or $6,000 for a youth apprentice.

S. 284 made it across the finish line on the last formal day of session this year, but it was not without its challengers. Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) originally introduced the bill with the intention of giving municipalities the authority to use hospitality and accommodations tax dollars for affordable workforce housing initiatives. While the SCRLA did not take a public position on the bill, we found the bill unfair to our industry not only because no other funding sources were considered for these new affordable housing projects, but also because our industry is directly generating the funding source for this new law. Due to industry pressure, the bill was heavily amended and ultimately dropped the use of hospitality tax dollars, capped the amount of accommodation tax dollars allowed to be used at 15%, and included a sunset provision to see whether the law is successful or not before reauthorizing. The ramifications of this law are particularly concerning for municipalities and CVBs that rely on a steady source of accommodations tax funding to market their communities to tourists and visitors. Time will tell how this new law will impact our industry.

Other bills that made it to the Governor's desk for signature include:

S. 399 – Effective July 1, 2024, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will be split into two separate agencies, the newly formed Department of Environmental Services and the Department of Public Health. The bill transfers the Water Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources to the newly created Department of Environmental Services, effectively consolidating all environmental permitting and planning within one state agency. Additionally, the bill transfers the Food Safety Program from DHEC to the Department of Agriculture.

H. 3726 – The bill will align, consolidate, coordinate, and streamline all publicly funded workforce development efforts in the state through the creation of the Office of Statewide Workforce Development at the Department of Employment and Workforce.

S. 459 – The bill will allow air travelers to take alcoholic beverages out of the restaurants to the gate. Not surprisingly, South Carolina is one of a very small number of states in the nation that do not allow this practice. Commercial airports were looking for this change.

Highlights of the bills we are tracking that are still moving through the Legislature include:

Tort Reform

S. 533 – Also known as the SC Justice Act, relates to liability of defendants and apportionment of damages in lawsuits. This is a high-priority bill for our association this session, and we have been aggressively advocating for its passage. The bill received two subcommittee hearings, but no formal legislative action has yet to be taken by members of the subcommittee. The bill has 25 Senate co-sponsors and its House companion bill, H. 3053, has well over 40. We, in partnership with the South Carolina Coalition of Lawsuit Reform, will continue our lobbying efforts and will not stop until the bill is signed into law.

S. 260 – Establishes, implements, and enforces a mandatory alcohol server training and education program, received a favorable report from the Senate Judiciary Committee but is currently being contested on the Senate floor. The bill has not been taken back up for further consideration since then. The SCRLA has not taken a position on the bill at this time but highly encourage all restaurants and servers of alcohol to be trained through ServSafe.

H. 3150 – This bill would give South Carolina Department of Revenue the authority to issue multiple permits to sell liquor, beer, and wine at multiple locations on multiple days at a festival on one application instead of multiple. This is a high-priority bill for our association as it would significantly improve the currently cumbersome permitting process.

S. 425 – This bill would allow retailers, including restaurants, to provide drivethrough or curbside pick-up of alcohol as well as permit retail stores to offer third-party alcohol delivery, received a favorable report from the Senate Judiciary Committee but is currently being contested on the Senate floor. The bill has not been taken back up for further consideration since then. Its House companion bill, H 4364, is still waiting for a subcommittee hearing.

Alcohol

H. 3253 – This bill would prohibit a municipality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that prohibits the rental of a residential dwelling to a short-term guest. This is a high-priority bill for us that we have been actively lobbying against. The bill received two subcommittee hearings and the public turnout at each hearing was overwhelmingly against the bill. The SCRLA sent several letters to members of the General Assembly, as well as the House 3M Subcommittee Chairmain Joe Bustos stating our position on short-term rentals (STR) and the need for home rule to be respected on this issue, and to leave STR regulations up to local municipalites. No formal action on the bill was taken at either hearing, but we fully expect this issue to reemerge next year.

H. 3014 – This bill would allow a judge to use their discretion in adding additional penalty enhancements for persons accused and convicted of a hate crime. The bill, which was introduced last session, once again passed the House overwhelmingly and received a favorable report from the Senate Judiciary Committee but is currently being contested on the Senate floor. The bill has not been taken back up for further consideration since then. South Carolina is still one of only two states in the nation—Wyoming being the other—without a hate crimes law on the books.

There are over a dozen other bills that we have been monitoring where no legislative action has been taken since their initial introduction. Bill topics include a sales tax exemption for paper goods and certain prepared foods, bills which would raise the minimum wage anywhere from $2.00-$17.00, public school start date, legalizing sports betting, among others. While no action has yet to be taken on these bills, there is always a chance that they will be taken up during the second half of the 125th South Carolina legislative session. For a full list of bills we are monitoring and their current status, please visit our website at SCRLA.org/125.

Three Primary Steps to Prevent Norovirus

In March, Patrick Guzzle, Vice President of Food Science with the National Restaurant Association, met with representatives from the CDC, FDA, and others to discuss Norovirus incidents that were attributed to restaurants. The primary goal of the meeting was to try and identify measurable goals for Norovirus reduction as part of CDC’s Healthy People 2030 publication.

The March meeting identified that establishing specific goals for Norovirus reduction was difficult for many reasons, including:

1. Norovirus is not reportable in all 50 States.

2. Most people that experience Norovirus do not report it to a local health department.

3. Most people that experience Norovirus do not actually get a confirmed diagnosis.

Because of these hurdles, the group considered ways to encourage food establishment operators and employees to increase their efforts to prevent and reduce Norovirus from happening in a food establishment. Prevention of Norovirus really comes

down to having a strong food safety culture. Without that culture in place, all the prevention steps we try to implement will, at some time, probably fail.

Norovirus is a highly contagious organism that causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

There are 3 primary things to do to prevent Norovirus from happening:

1. Do not work around food if you have had any Norovirus symptoms within the past 48 hours.

2. Practice thorough handwashing at all appropriate times.

3. Do not use your bare hands in contact with ready-to-eat foods – use disposable gloves, or dedicated equipment.

How can you help with this effort? As a ServSafe Instructor, remind your students of the 3 primary action steps to prevent norovirus and why they are important. Help your students establish these prevention steps as part of their own food safety culture.

What Happened to the Woman in the Hotel Room Next Door?

With their closed doors and transient nature, hotels can provide an environment for crimes like sex trafficking. An incident in the middle of the night prompts a writer to ask what is being done to prevent them.

The sound of rage woke me just before midnight. A man’s voice in the adjacent hotel room screamed, “Get out of my room!” with an obscenity added. His staccato fury was interspersed with heavy slamming noises and pleas of mercy from a woman’s voice.

I was frozen. What was happening and what should I do? Then the room went silent.

Around 2 a.m. I heard a man’s voice erupting again, this time from the parking lot outside, where I could clearly see a man and a woman engaged in a heated argument. The man was forcefully holding onto the woman’s arm as they walked out of view. This time I called the front desk.

“Should I call the police?” I asked.

The attendant told me that the hotel, a major brand just off an Interstate, had its own security, and that it would investigate

and involve law enforcement if necessary. Soon, I heard more thuds next door — they must have returned — followed by the sound of sobbing. Then a door slammed and there was silence.

Early the next morning, as I checked out, the clerk assured me that the problem had been dealt with. But I could not stop thinking about what I had heard and seen. I didn’t know if any crime had been committed, but the woman’s cries pulled me down a rabbit hole of research into the prevalence of sexual violence and abuse in hotels and what is being done to stop it. Hotels, with their closed doors and transient nature, can offer a ripe environment for violence, whether it is domestic abuse, sexual assault, rape or human trafficking.

Take the case of the woman identified in court papers only as M.A., who in a lawsuit against hotels, says she was sex trafficked out of multiple Days Inn by Wyndham properties and a Super 8 by Wyndham in central Ohio, beginning in 2013 when she was a minor. In her civil claim against the hotels — a landmark case that is still making its way through the courts — her lawyers make this point: “Traffickers are well aware of the seclusion and anonymity attendant with booking rooms with hotel chains without adequate training

Picture: Deena So Oteh; Article by Stephanie Pearson, New York Times

— they know it is unlikely that they will be disturbed.”

M.A.’s lawyers also claim that, at the various hotels, “the hotel staff ignored her” and “did nothing to prevent the ongoing and obvious suffering she endured by being regularly trafficked for sex.”

DIG DEEPER INTO THE MOMENT

What if the woman in the room next to mine had been going through the same thing? Or was she a victim of domestic violence? How prepared are hotels to deal with incidents of possible violence and to protect victims?

COMMON AND COMMONLY IGNORED

There is no reliable data on the prevalence of sexual assault, rape or domestic violence in hotels. These crimes are grossly underreported no matter where they occur. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 22 percent of rapes and sexual assaults and 50 percent of intimate partner violence were reported to the police in 2021.

Victims of sex trafficking frequently say that their abuse took place in hotels: Of the 54 new federal criminal sex trafficking cases filed in 2021 where the location of the sex act was known, 80 percent took place at a hotel, according to the 2021 Federal Human Trafficking Report, the most recent tally from the Human Trafficking Institute, a nonprofit that works with justice systems to more effectively prosecute traffickers.

A 2018 study by Polaris, a leading U.S. anti-trafficking nonprofit, found that in the 10 years between 2007, when the National Human Trafficking Hotline was created, and 2017, the hotline received 3,596 reports of human trafficking involving a hotel or a motel. In 80% of these cases, commercial sex acts were performed at a hotel.

Of 127 trafficking survivors surveyed by Polaris, 94% said that they never received any assistance or expression of concern from the hotel staff and that the staff either did not recognize the situation or did not acknowledge it as trafficking.

According to the Human Trafficking Report, in federal criminal cases brought in 2021, 22 hotels were identified as locations where alleged sex trafficking took place, including some of the most familiar brands from the American roadside landscape: Motel 6, Quality Inn, Super 8 Motels, Red Roof Inn, Marriott, Knights Inn, Holiday Inn, Hawthorn Suites, Days Inn, Comfort Inn and Baymont Inn.

The pandemic brought new challenges to fighting sex trafficking: There are now touchless, faceless ways to enter many hotels, such as key-code entry systems. Compounding the issue is an industrywide staffing shortage. In a survey published in a 2023 report by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), 79% of hotels said their property was short-staffed, and 22% identified that issue as severe.

The Polaris study notes that trafficking is not limited to budget hotels, but that places where the staff is busy and distracted may be preferred.

TRYING TO HOLD HOTELS ACCOUNTABLE

Federal efforts to shut down trafficking and prosecute offenders have been driven by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act, passed in 2000. There have been two important changes to the act in relation to hotels’ responsibility to protect victims. In 2003, victims gained the right to file civil lawsuits against their traffickers in federal court, and, in 2008, the act was expanded to penalize those who knowingly benefit financially from participating in trafficking. That enabled victims to bring a civil suits against third parties, like hotels.

In 2021, 83 new civil suits were filed in federal courts by people who say they were trafficked; hotels were the respondents in 17 of those suits. They follow M.A.’s precedent-setting suit, filed in 2019. M.A. v. Wyndham Hotel & Resorts, which is still in litigation, marked the first time a judge allowed a suit against hotel companies that were only beneficiaries of a trafficking venture, not participants, to move forward because the plaintiff “alleged sufficient facts” to show that the staff should have known trafficking was happening, including payments in cash, housekeeping being asked to replace towels on a frequent basis, and signs of sexual activity in the trash such as lubricants and condom wrappers.

“Our lawsuits seek top-down accountability, not just suing the local property owner,” said Kimberly Adams, a lawyer at Levin Papantonio Rafferty, one of the firms representing M.A. “Because the problem of human trafficking in the hotel industry is nationwide, advocates for these most vulnerable people are urging an industrywide effort to address the problem, including by the national brands like Wyndham.”

In an email, a spokeswoman for Wyndham said that the company does not comment on pending litigation, but, she added, “we condemn human trafficking in any form.” She said Wyndham works with industry organizations to combat trafficking and provides training for employees and franchisees in the United States.

How hotels are facing the issues

In recent years the hotel industry has begun to focus on combating sexual assault and harassment. In 2018, the AHLA created a program called 5-Star Promise, in which the member hotels voluntarily pledge to adopt policies and training to prevent incidents against guests and staff.

In 2019 it started the No Room for Trafficking program, which provides employee education and training through a free, 30-minute online program in 17 different languages produced by Marriott International with ECPAT-USA and Polaris. Hotel companies can choose to have their employees use the program.

“As human beings we are better than this,” said Chip Rogers, the chief executive of AHLA, speaking of sex trafficking. “If you are a hotelier and knowingly involved then you should pay whatever penalty and then some,” he said in an interview.

One issue with stopping trafficking, Rogers said, is that “people are somewhat clueless as to what are the particular signs.”

Typical clues are if a person seems distressed, hostile or confused, or flees or becomes frozen when engaged. If they are with a companion, that person may exert physical control or may not allow the person to speak. Experts emphasize identifying a potential victim’s behavior rather than their age, race, gender, economic status or sexual orientation.

“The media often portrays blue-eyed, blond girls as sex trafficking victims,” said Mar Brettmann, the founder and chief executive of Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking, a nonprofit group. But, she said, victims are disproportionately recruited from minority groups. Additionally, a significant number of males are trafficked for sex, as well as people who are transgender. Trafficking also takes place across a wide economic and geographic spectrum.

AHLA’s goal is to have all the roughly 2.1 million industry employees take the No Room for Trafficking training, though there is no target date. Since the end of 2022, more than 800,000 people have been trained.

In the course, hotel employees watch a series of videos that define human trafficking and the risks that it poses to hotels. They are also taught to recognize indicators of sex trafficking and how to react to it. The course provides insights like, “Traffickers threaten victims with severe consequences if they speak to police,” to help employees understand victims’ behavior.

But it remains unclear how effective the training is. “There’s no way to measure the impact of training on decreasing trafficking. There’s simply not enough research and data,” said Brettmann.

Critics of the hotel industry say that its training and other programs do not go far enough to protect women from other kinds of violence, including rape and sexual assault.

“Hotel security shortfalls are much more common than travelers would imagine,” said Ed Blizzard, a Houston lawyer who represents a number of women who have been sexually assaulted in hotels.

There are rare instances when hotels are found legally accountable for sexual violence on their premises.

6 Best Practices to Keep Your Hotel Safe & Secure

To maintain a secure and safe environment for guests and employees, general managers should establish a “culture of safety,” where all staff understand the importance of keeping guests and coworkers safe through attentiveness to any potential issues. This culture must extend through the entire organization, especially into HR and management, through opendoor policies and proper de-escalation and crisis training. General managers can then reinforce this training with daily “stand up” meetings and through motivation and recognition. Your team should know that safety is everyone’s job, not just the job of maintenance or any other single department or employee. In addition, it’s crucial to have well-planned and efficient security procedures in place. When creating these plans, here are some best practices to consider:

Local agency partnerships: Invite senior leaders from local emergency agencies to meet with key staff and managers to discuss the importance of guest safety and build a strong relationship to reduce criminal activity, like human trafficking, and increase guest security.

Key card control: Ensure that only authorized employees can create and distribute keys and provide the correct access to registered guests and employees. Master keys should be securely stored, checked in and out daily by the staff, and never used to grant a guest access to any room or area of the hotel. Assign someone the task to inventory all master keys daily and report any discrepancies to management.

Emergency key control: Make sure all emergency keys are valid, functioning, and stored securely. If a portable programmer or any other device is used to access the electronic lock system, it should be stored securely. Consider installing a lockbox equipped with a breakable glass front behind the front desk.

Housekeeper precautions: For safety, housekeepers should clean rooms with doors closed and carts in front of the door. In case of evacuation, they should bring their carts into the guestroom to clear the hallway.

Front desk precautions: Front desk staff should avoid announcing room numbers and positively confirm the guest’s name before connecting any calls to a room.

Due Diligence: Regular security audits should be conducted to identify and address any weaknesses or vulnerabilities in security systems and protocols.

Everyone who completes the training will receive a certificate. This certificate may satisfy state and/ or local training requirements.

Scan the QR code to complete the 30-minute Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training today.

By following these best practices, a hotel can create a secure and safe environment for guests and employees, while protecting its assets and reputation.

Article reprinted from LodgingMagazine.com

SCRLA is partnering with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) to provide FREE human trafficking training for members and their staff. This 30-minute course can protect your establishment and even save a life.

PGA TOUR Announces Myrtle Beach Classic Debuting in 2024

A new PGA TOUR tournament, the Myrtle Beach Classic, sponsored by Visit Myrtle Beach will debut in 2024 along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. A four-year agreement establishing the event was recently announced during a ceremony at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, with South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Duane Parrish in attendance along with representatives from the PGA TOUR, Visit Myrtle Beach, Golf Tourism Solutions, the City of Myrtle Beach and Horry County.

The Myrtle Beach Classic will be part of the PGA TOUR’s 2024 FedExCup Regular Season as a Full-Field additional event played the same week as a Designated event. The tournament will feature a purse of $3.9 million with 300 FedExCup points awarded to the champion.

Tournament dates for the Myrtle Beach Classic will be announced at a later date along with the full 2024 FedExCup schedule. The 2024 PGA TOUR schedule season begins in January with the FedExCup Regular Season, followed by three FedExCup Playoffs events in August and the FedExCup Fall starting in September.

“We are thrilled to announce the debut of the Myrtle Beach Classic, an exciting new playing opportunity for our members in one of our country’s most recognized and visited destinations,” said PGA TOUR President Tyler Dennis. “With its incredible passion for golf, the Myrtle Beach community is a natural fit to bring this tournament to life. We look forward to partnering with Visit Myrtle Beach for a first-class tournament at a championship venue in Dunes Golf and Beach Club.”

The Myrtle Beach Classic will be one of two stops in the Palmetto State for the PGA TOUR in 2024, along with the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, an event that made its debut in 1969.

“South Carolina is known for our beaches and golf, and generations of visitors have enjoyed both in Myrtle Beach,” said Duane Parrish, director, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “The Palmetto State has the weather, the landscapes and the variety of courses that make us the perfect destination for every kind of golf vacation. Hosting PGA TOUR events gives us an unparalleled opportunity to share that allure with golf viewers around the world. This four-year partnership is a huge win for Myrtle Beach golf and for the greater tourism industry, and it will undoubtedly inspire countless trips to ‘The Beach’ and to South Carolina as a whole.”

“Visit Myrtle Beach is excited to serve as title sponsor of this amazing new PGA TOUR event,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO, Visit Myrtle Beach. “Myrtle Beach has long been described as the golf capital of the world with over 90 courses for golf enthusiasts. We see the Myrtle Beach Classic as a great opportunity to show the world what an incredible destination we have. With top notch golf, 60 miles of gorgeous beaches, over 2,000 great restaurants and dozens of fun attractions and amusements, the Myrtle Beach area is a great vacation choice.”

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, a Robert Trent Jonesdesigned course, was incorporated in May 1948 and hosted the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on PGA TOUR Champions from 1994 to 1999.

The Dunes Club was also the site of PGA TOUR Q-School Finals in October 1973, with three-time defending NCAA champion Ben Crenshaw taking medalist honors. The following month, the future World Golf Hall of Fame member would become only the second player ever at the time to win in his first start as a PGA TOUR member.

Miriam Atria Recognized for 40 Years of Service to Capital City/Lake Murray Country

Representatives Nathan Ballentine, Paula Rawl Calhoon, and former Representative Chip Huggins presented Miriam Atria with a House Resolution from the South Carolina General Assembly “To congratulate Miriam Atria, President/CEO of Capital City/Lake Murray Country, at the celebration of her forty years of service in the tourism industry and to wish her much-continued success as she continues to serve.”

Atria began her career at CCLMC in 1983 as the sole employee. Since the early 1990s, she recognized Lake Murray’s potential as a major player in the fishing tournament industry. Bringing awareness to Lake Murray and the attractions surrounding it have served to elevate the tourism industry in South Carolina.

CCLMC hosted the Forrest Wood Cup, coined the Super Bowl of fishing, in 2008, 2014 and 2017, bringing in a combined total of more than $95 million in economic impact.

In 2022, Atria capitalized on her relationship with USAngling to bring the XVI Black Bass World Championship to Lake

Murray— the first location on United States soil.

Most recently, at the 2023 Governor's Conference on Tourism & Travel, Atria was presented with the Fred Brinkman Award, the highest honor in South Carolina's tourism industry.

Resolution Presentation from left to right: Buddy Jennings, Chip Huggins, Representative Nathan Ballentine, Miriam Atria, Nick Atria, Justin Atria, Representative Paula Rawl Calhoon, and Jimmy Chao

We’re committed to helping your business be successful through our People, Products, and Platforms. With new capabilities, better value, personalized offers, unparalleled product assortment, trusted expertise and innovation — we have all the tools you need.

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Marketing and Operations Conference, a premier hospitality event presented by Sysco, is returning for the fourth year this fall.

We are thrilled to host this event in Greenville on October 16 with a diverse group of entrepreneurial and executive-level hospitality experts. Bringing you leading industry trends, best practices, topnotch speakers and unparalleled networking, we’ve made sure there’s a seat for everyone at our table. This year’s conference will feature two keynote speakers and 18 innovative forums led by the brightest professionals in hospitality.

Each forum is packed with hot topics and powerful messages designed to spark new ideas.

Tracks include: human resources, technology, general management, beverage, marketing & hotel/lodging. Throughout the conference, connect with the industry's game changers for valuable takeaways and new business prospects.

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