ECPAT-Code of Conduct

 

Although discussions on “eco-tourism” have drawn the attention of the public at large, actually the fight against sexual exploitation of children in tourism with, as spearhead, the Code of Conduct (CC) is, in the opinion of the Retour foundation, the best developed voluntary initiative to bring about sustainable tourism and responsible entrepreneurship.

Growing incoming tourism often matches an equally growing sex industry to which more and more children fall victim. Although there is no direct relation between the tourism industry and the sex industry (no-one in the Netherlands can buy a child sex vacation), there is often an indirect link, not only in developing countries:

  • Child sex tourists buy a ticket and book through facilities offered by the tourism industry.

  • Sometimes, like in the Netherlands, tourism industry makes use of the facilities of the sex industry, for example by including excursions to red light districts in their program. And the tourism image often includes sex as an attraction (Amsterdam, Bangkok or Brasil)

  •  Child abuse often takes place in hotels and is known by personnel from tourism enterprises. The tourism industry has a responsibility and is a very important partner in the fight against sexual abuse

The Declaration and Agenda for Action, unanimously adopted by the World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm in 1996, called upon all sectors of society to intervene against this global phenomenon. The travel and tourism industry was addressed as one of the key sectors . From the Stockholm conference in 1996 onward, tourism industry and ECPAT-Int have been looking at the possibilities for the Tourism industry to take their responsibilities. It lead to the start of a project called the Code of Conduct (CC), developed in 1998 by several European ECPAT partners and the WTO (World Tourism Organisation) and supported by the European Union. The overall objective of the Code is to prevent children from sexual abuse and combat sexual exploitation in travel and tourism by offering a tool for tourism industry, workers in tourism and travelers.

 

By now, it has become a best practice in voluntary action in for sustainable tourism. It is an example of international co-operation between the tourism industry and NGOs. The majority of the NGOs are represented in more than 50 countries. Industrial partners are tour operators and umbrella organisations in Austria, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. An international steering committee has been set up to monitor the implementation of the following criteria by the signatory companies or umbrella organizations:

  1. Develop and record an ethical policy to fight sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

  2. Inform and educate staff, also at destinations.

  3. Include a clause in contracts with travel agents and hotels at destinations which states that prostitution of minors is at all times prohibited and if violated in any way the contract will be dissolved.

  4. Inform clients of the problem of child prostitution.

  5. Inform key persons and organizations, agents, business associates, National Tourism Organizations (NTO), etc. in destination countries.

  6. Produce a report every year about the measures being taken under the Code of Conduct.

The project recognizes as a starting point the fact that the bottom line for tourism industry is that they have to  make profit. But with that in mind there are three important motives for tourism industry to participate in actions:

  • First there is the moral aspect: there is no doubt that sexual abuse of children is regarded as one of the worst threats to the integrity and security of a child, and that children need to be protected against this. Also the people working in tourism industry only have to think of their own children to realize the obligation they have to do anything they can to fight this wrong.

  • There is the legal aspect: child prostitution is highly illegal and every contribution to it could be explained as and regarded as a criminal offence. Just as tourism industry has to stick to the laws regarding the environmental, planning or labor, they have to adhere to the national and international laws on the protection of children from sexual abuse.

  • And thirdly there is the commercial aspect:

- A study of the European Community showed that tourists wanted to be informed before their holiday about the possibility of child prostitution at their holiday destination. They did not want to be confronted with child sex tourism unknowingly.  If they would be confronted without knowing, a majority would not visit that destination again. Therefore holiday destinations cannot afford to be associated with sexual abuse of children at the least tourism industry should inform tourists about it
- Second in Europe touroperators  In Germany, Austria, Sweden, the UK and Italy the Code is signed by either the association of touroperators and travel agents or individual touroperators. In the Netherlands TUI Netherlands has signed the CC and 5 others are following. The Dutch Association of Touroperators and Travel Agents has its own Code of Conduct since 1996. There is co-operation between touroperators in sending countries which adopted the CC with their partners in the destination countries.
- There is the issue of sustainable tourism and responsible entrepreneurship. Responsible entrepreneurship is on the rise. Touroperators in NL are adopting profiles of taking responsibility for the future of the world. Therefore they want to contribute to sustainable tourism: beneficial for nature, and for men, socially, culturally and economically.

 

For more information, you can check the following sites:

http://www.thecode.org

http://www.world-tourism.org/protect_children/index.htm

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/services/tourism/policy-areas/child.htm

 

Partners in the European Code of Conduct project are:

 

WTO (www.World-Tourism.org)

ECPAT Netherlands (www.ecpat.nl)

ECPAT Germany (www.ecpat.de)

ECPAT Italy (www.ecpat.it)

ECPAT Sweden (www.ecpatsweden.org)

ECPAT UK (www.ecpat.org.uk)

Respect Austria (www.respect.at)

A growing number of partners in destination countries such as Costa Rica, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Gambia etc.

A rapidly growing number of tourism enterprises an business associations