UKHospitality and its members have driven forward a proactive programme of further work to promote the safety and security of women and girls, including enhancing guidance on guest safety.
Government and industry agreed to work together to build on existing partnership work at both national and local level to protect guests and teams, as well as share best practice to prevent any opportunities for perpetrators in or outside of venues.
An updated guest safety protocol, developed by UKHospitality, is currently out for consultation with the sector and will set out guidance covering room access procedures, protection of guest privacy and the responsibilities of staff.
The framework will also highlight additional vulnerability training and safety protocols available, in order to complement other safety procedures and support teams on the frontline.
Businesses will be supported by third-sector organisations including Rape Crisis and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in how to identify and report abuse.
The roundtable, held at 11 Downing Street, was attended by representatives from across accommodation, short-term lets, bars, nightclubs, and charities dedicated to tackling violence against women and girls.
It was chaired by Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, and co-hosted by Kate Dearden, Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection; Catherine Atkinson, Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls; and Natalie Fleet, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls.
Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock said
It is vital that everyone, whether a visitor, a guest or a member of staff, feels safe and secure.
I am encouraged by the ambition shown by businesses building on the work the sector is already doing to protect guests and visitors and look forward to seeing these further commitments translate into meaningful, measurable change.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Natalie Fleet, said
Women should be able to sleep at night knowing they are safe.
As Minister for Safeguarding – and as a Mum and Nana – I am excited about the work we are doing to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We’re working cross-government to deliver our ambitious strategy, but we cannot keep women safe alone, that’s why this meeting was so important.
It was great to talk to representatives from across the hospitality sector to reflect on how we had got here, and what we can do to avoid this happening again.
I really did leave the meeting feeling optimistic about next steps. Violence against women and girls is a national emergency that every one of us has a responsibility to tackle.
Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said
The safety of our guests is our utmost priority, and it’s a responsibility that the entire hospitality sector takes incredibly seriously.
Together with our members, we have been enhancing existing guidance on guest safety and we’ve been pleased to share our plans with Ministers.
It’s positive to hear recognition of the sector’s ongoing work in this area and it’s critical we work together to support our teams on the frontline, including the need to expand protections for retail staff to hospitality.
Currently out for consultation with the sector, we look forward to finalising this in the coming weeks and continuing our dialogue with the Government on this issue.
Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Minister Catherine Atkinson said
Every woman should be able to check into a hotel, enjoy a night out or dinner, or book a short-term let without fear for her safety.
I am pleased to see major businesses stepping up alongside expert organisations to ensure that staff at every level are equipped to identify abuse and take action.
That kind of joined-up approach is exactly what tackling VAWG demands and this Government will pull every lever at its disposal.
Kate Dearden, Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer protection, said
We’re showing how government and the hospitality sector can work together so that everyone, including women and girls can enjoy the nighttime economy whilst feeling safe and supported. Working with our tourism and hospitality sector is essential in keeping our towns and cities safe.
Initiatives delivered by the sector include the Ask Angela, Best Bar None, Pubwatch and Purple Flag.
Businesses also agreed to continue to promote the government’s Enough campaign and to deepen existing co-operation with specialist third sector organisations.
In the year ending March 2025, around 5.1 million people experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking – approximately 10.6% of adults aged 16 and over.
The Government is treating tackling VAWG as a top priority, committing £550 million into victim support over the next three years and setting out its ambition to halve VAWG within a decade through its strategy published in December 2025.
The hospitality and tourism sector – which contributed £64.3 billion to the UK economy in 2024 and employs 1.3 million people, over half of whom are women – has a critical role to play in meeting that ambition.
The roundtable marks the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between government and the sector.
