Child sex tourism

The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (the Code) is a project joining the tourism private sector and the children's rights non-governmental organization ECPAT, aiming to prevent sexual exploitation of children at tourism destinations. The tour operators and their umbrella organizations, travel agents, hotels, airlines, etc. which endorse the Code, commit themselves to implement the following measures:

To establish a corporate ethical policy against commercial sexual exploitation of children.
To train the personnel in the country of origin and travel destinations.
To introduce clauses in contracts with suppliers, stating a common repudiation of sexual exploitation of children.
To provide information to travellers through catalogues, brochures, in-flight films, ticket-slips, websites, etc.
To provide information to local "key persons" at destinations.
To report annually.

The Code was initiated in April 1998 by ECPAT Sweden in cooperation with Scandinavian tour operators and the World Tourism Organization (WTO). Since 2004, the work of the Secretariat is funded by UNICEF, in a 3-year framework Project Cooperation Agreement signed between UNICEF and ECPAT USA/International, and supported by the World Tourism Organization.

The Code of Conduct campaign for North America was launched in April 2004 at UNICEF House in New York City. The launch intended to bring North American companies to commit to The Code. At the time of the launch, Carlson Companies (owner of Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, and others) signed on their support.

The Code is currently implemented globally by 241 companies in 21 countries (including the members of the Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (UNEP.UNESCO.WTO) and 3 hotel chains.

In 2003, The Code was the recipient of the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award in the “Large-Scale Tourism” category.

ECPAT Partners at National Level

ECPAT Costa Rica (Fundacion Paniamor)
ECPAT Denmark (Save the Children)
ECPAT Germany
ECPAT Italy
ECPAT Netherlands
ECPAT Spain (ACMI)
ECPAT Sweden
ECPAT Switzerland
ECPAT UK
ECPAT USA
ECPAT Int´l. Tourism Desk (Thailand)
Respect Austria
ECPAT Affiliate Mongolia
Fundacion Infantia Mexico
ECPAT Affiliate Save the Children Romania
Animus Bulgaria
ECPAT Brazil, Resposta

The Code 2005 – 2007 Steering Committee:

WTO
ECPAT International
International Hotel and Restaurant Association
Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (UNEP.UNESCO.WTO)
Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations
Japan Committee for UNICEF (funding body)
DRV
Brazil Ministry of Tourism
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Kuoni Scandinavia
Accor Hotels
ECPAT Costa Rica
Resposta Brazil

Committee Chair 2005 – 2007: Kaspar Hess, TOI (UNEP.UNESCO.WTO), Hotelplan, Switzerland
The Code Secretariat is housed at ECPAT USA in New York.

ECPAT UK is part of an international network of ECPAT groups in over 67 countries. ECPAT UK was set up by a number of agencies already working on children's rights.responsibletravel.com has partnered with ECPAT UK to support their campaign on child sex tourism by working with them on their code for tour companies.

If you are a tourist concerned about child sex tourism read on for more information and to find out how you can help.