An estimated 1.2 million children all over the world are annually exploited through prostitution, pornography, and trafficking. Some travelers use tours and hotels as venues to exploit children. Without clear policies and training, staff are not equipped to identify and react to such behavior. You can take a stand against the sexual exploitation of children by informing companies about their vulnerability in the tourism industry.
The Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct is the only internationally accepted framework that sets a standard of responsible business practices to effectively crack down on the sexual exploitation of children. To date, over 1,000 companies across the world have signed the Code—including major hotel chains like Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, Hilton Worldwide, and Carlson Companies—and you have the power to effect industry-wide change.
Have your voice heard! Use this card as a tool to initiate a conversation with a hotel manager about child protection in tourism. Sign the attached card and drop it off with travel companies to inform them about the commercial sexual exploitation of children and the Code. Afterwards, visit ECPAT-USA’s website to learn more about the Code including which companies have signed it and other ways you can help.
Why is the Code important in the United States?:
In the United States, 200,000 American children are at risk for exploitation a year. Youth are strategically targeted and manipulated by pimps who use hotel rooms as venues to abuse children, knowing that systems are not in place to protect the victims. With the use of online classified ads, child trafficking is moving off the streets and behind the closed doors of local hotel rooms.
The children are transported from city to city via U.S. owned airlines and buses by traffickers. Air travel is also a primary means of transportation for child sex tourists– individuals who travel overseas to sexually exploit local children. The Code helps these travel and tour companies create programs and policies to identify victims and traffickers so that they can effectively react.
Full list of US signatories and their brands: Click here.
Promote the Code: List Of Actions You Can Take
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has joined ECPAT USA in calling for the Code. To receive Code Cards that can be distributed to the travel and tourism industry, please email ryan.smith@pcusa.org or call 212-697-4568.