Defined by the United Nations as "an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage and human trafficking", modern slavery impacted an estimated 50 million people around the world in 2022.

 
Every company is at risk of being involved in this crime, Intrepid said, and while governments have taken some measures to ensure businesses are complying with human rights standards, supply chains continue to present a great risk due to lack of transparency and access to resources. 
 
The new consortium will engage with tier one suppliers, through an annual online assessment, to identify risks, analyse knowledge and actions, understand suppliers’ needs, and provide the support and tools they need to improve their own practices and those of their own supply chain. 

Industry suppliers will only need to complete the survey once, and they can elect for it to be shared with other business partners, reducing the burden for suppliers and overall issues of compliance.  
 
"For so long businesses in every industry have ignored or fallen short of addressing the risks of modern slavery in their supply chains," said Sara King, general manager of purpose for Intrepid Travel.

"The reality is, we are our suppliers, and we hope the tourism industry can lead this change in mindset for businesses everywhere, to protect vulnerable people and communities around the world," she added.