- The Code

Nos projets

NOS PROJETS EN COURS

The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism and the Travel Industry

CONTEXT

The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism and the Travel Industry is considered to be the most effective tool in the industry to combat child sex tourism. Tour operators and tourist agencies that adhere to the Code of Conduct undertake to inform their customers about their child protection policies, train their staff, report cases of abuse and adopt measures to protect children.

TESTIMONIALS

It’s not a moral issue, it’s illegal. Ultimately, your responsibility is to ensure that your hotel is not an accomplice. There is no grey area in this area, it is black or white. These are illegal sexual relations with minors.

Jennifer Silberman, CSR Vice-Presidente, Hilton Worldwide

Studiosus Tourism Munich welcomes the opportunity to support The Code. Thanks to its guidelines and criteria, we have a solid basis for developing tools and an effective system for the prevention of child prostitution and trafficking.

Mrs Ruth Hopfer-Kubsch, Studiosus Tourism Munich

KEY FIGURES

To date, more than 1,200 tourism industry professionals from 43 different countries have already signed the Code. Join them!

Feel free to contact us for more information, or visit the Code website.

HISTORY

Originally developed by ECPAT, the Code is now an independent organisation, funded by various institutional and private donors, as well as by membership fees. Its headquarters are located in Bangkok.

ECPAT Luxembourg is the representative of the Code at the country level.

ECPAT International is a permanent member of the Steering Committee of the Draft Code of Conduct and currently sits as a member of its Board of Directors.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Code is a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at the tourism industry. Its mission is to raise awareness and provide tools and support to this industry to combat the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism-related contexts.

The Code represents one of the first initiatives to define the role and obligations of tourism companies with regard to child sex tourism. The objective of the Code is to work with travel and tourism companies to combat this crime.

We believe that tourism companies, by committing to meet the criteria of the Code, can integrate child protection into their business activities.

THE SIX CRITERIAS

The Code uses six criteria to be implemented by members of the tourism industry to adhere to it.

The six criteria were formulated to turn child protection principles into concrete actions. In this way, they will respect their commitments to sustainable and ethical tourism through concrete measures:

Establish a policy and procedures against the sexual exploitation of children.
Train employees in children’s rights, prevention of sexual exploitation and reporting of suspicious cases.
Include a clause in contracts throughout the value chain affirming a common rejection and zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation of children.
Provide information to travellers on children’s rights, prevention of sexual exploitation of children and how to report suspicious cases.
Support, collaborate and engage with stakeholders in preventing the sexual exploitation of children.
Provide an annual report on the implementation of activities related to the Code

Commitment to

Are you a travel agency, active in the hotel business or a tour operator? As a professional in this industry, you can make a difference! As part of your CSR, discover how adhering to the Code can be an asset to your company.