Mexico: Aeroméxico and UNODC target human trafficking risks in tourism - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Aeroméxico and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have presented a new study examining the links between human trafficking and tourism in Mexico. The research focuses on Mexico City, Cancún and Puerto Vallarta and is accompanied by practical guidelines designed to help tourism companies and employees identify and safely report suspected cases.

The publication marks the tenth anniversary of Aeroméxico’s involvement in efforts to prevent human trafficking. According to the airline and UNODC, the study is the first of its kind to specifically analyse how trafficking risks intersect with tourism activity in Mexico.

Tourism infrastructure can become a risk environment

The study points to characteristics of the tourism industry that can be exploited by trafficking networks, including high levels of mobility, constant flows of visitors and informal employment.

Potential blind spots exist throughout the tourism chain. Hotels and restaurants are among the locations identified, alongside airports, bus terminals and accommodation offered through digital platforms.

One of the most significant findings concerns staff preparedness. While 84 percent of tourism employees surveyed said they had some knowledge of human trafficking, more than 40 percent had never received specific training on the issue.

Early detection is particularly important because, according to the study, 93.2 percent of human trafficking cases in Mexico do not result in an investigation. Tourism employees could therefore play an important role in recognising warning signs and reporting suspicious situations.

Practical guidance for tourism companies

Alongside the study, Aeroméxico and UNODC presented the “ABC de Actuación para Personal y Empresas del Sector Turístico”, a practical guide for tourism employees and businesses.

It sets out measures for identifying warning signs and safely reporting suspected trafficking. The recommendations combine UNODC expertise with experience gathered by Aeroméxico during a decade of prevention work.

“This study does not belong to any particular organisation; it belongs to all of us who believe that the growth of tourism must be accompanied by a profound social responsibility and unrestricted respect for human rights,” said Ernesto Gómez Pombo, General Counsel of Aeroméxico. “Its findings show us where we are, but they also indicate where we need to go.”

Tourism as a first line of protection

Stacy de la Torre, Head of Office at UNODC Mexico, recognised Aeroméxico’s decade-long involvement in combating human trafficking and highlighted the airline’s early participation in UNODC’s Blue Heart campaign.

“Human trafficking takes advantage of spaces, dynamics and vulnerabilities present in different sectors,” de la Torre said. Strengthening the tourism industry’s ability to recognise risks, prevent exploitation and respond promptly could, she added, turn the sector into “a true first line of protection”.

At the conclusion of the presentation, representatives of Aeroméxico, UNODC and the tourism and business sectors signed a Declaration of Principles reaffirming their commitment to prevention and respect for human rights.

More than 9,000 victims identified in ten years

Figures from Mexico’s Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System cited in the release show that 9,018 trafficking victims were identified in the country between 2015 and 2025.

According to UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 63 percent of the cases in Mexico involved trafficking for sexual exploitation, with women and girls accounting for the majority of victims.

Aeroméxico has maintained its own protocol for identifying suspected trafficking cases during operations since 2016 and was the first airline worldwide to join UNODC’s Blue Heart #AquíEstoy campaign.

Between 2019 and the end of 2025, 23 percent of the suspected cases identified by Aeroméxico were subsequently confirmed as human trafficking cases. The airline says it intends to continue staff training, information sharing and cooperation with other organisations as part of its prevention strategy.

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