Since 1998, the international Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel und Tourism has been signed by approximately 850 tour operators, travel agencies, hotels and associations in 32 countries. The Code demonstrates responsible and ethical tourism through a set of criteria, including the training and information of staff in the tourism industry. Lessons learned so far indicate that the implementation of the Code of Conduct is most successful, if the tour operators from the sending countries cooperate with the destinations. The trainings in a holiday destination (so called destination workshop) offer a platform for an exchange of experiences between the destination countries and their tourism business partners.

In June 2008, the German Travel Association (DRV), the non-governmental organisation ECPAT Germany and the Convention Project successfully held the 2nd multidisciplinary destination workshop on the Code of Conduct for the tourism industry on Phuket in Thailand. Representatives from German and local tourism businesses discussed the implementation of the Code of Conduct, law enforcement and good-practices with the aim to raise awareness and sharpen participants’ perception on the issue of sexual exploitation of girls and boys in tourism and travel.
The first destination workshop took place in the Dominican Republic, in May 2006. The positive response from tourism stakeholders in the Dominican Republic was mainly a result of the interdisciplinary approach used to network with other stakeholders involved in combating commercial sexual exploitation of children. Following this approach, during this year’s workshop, staff from hotels and travel-agencies came together with representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, German and Thai police investigation, the German Embassy and NGOs. Discussions and group work exercises focused mainly on possible modes of implementation of the code of conduct and how to assume responsibility for child protection in the respective business setting.
To make the workshop approach available to others involved in the code of conduct, the lessons learned are reflected in a recently produced factsheet.

• Fact sheet: Promoting the Code of Conduct to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel & Tourism
  gtz2008-en-lessons-learned-code.pdf, 1.18 MB (english)