Sexual exploitation of children is an increasing concern across Southeast Asia
Outdated laws and weak legal enforcement are increasing the risk of the sexual exploitation of children across Southeast Asia says a new report.
Traditional elements of the sexual exploitation of children, such as child marriage and human trafficking continue to be an issue, says NGO ECPAT International’s “The Sexual Exploitation of Children in Southeast Asia,” which explores the phenomena in 11 countries in the region. However, the report says that this has been aggravated in recent years by a low level of awareness about the issue, along with increased regional tourism and the proliferation of the internet
“The rapid growth in tourism exacerbates the sexual exploitation of children in the region,” says the study. “Further exacerbating the situation has been the dramatic development in Internet and communications technologies, which have increased and diversified opportunities to sexually exploit children, or to profit from the sexual exploitation of children.”
ECPAT says that underlying these risk factors is a weak legal infrastructure in many Southeast Asian countries, which is allowing offenders to act with impunity. And it is not just foreigners who are to blame, perpetrators today are largely from the region. “Although tourists from Western countries are still a significant problem, it is a popular misconception that they constitute the majority of child sex offenders,” says Rangsima Deesawade, ECPAT’s Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia. “Most offences in Southeast Asia are committed by nationals of countries in the region or other parts of Asia.”
According to the new study, whilst traditional tourism destinations such as Thailand and the Philippines continue to pose a threat to children, due to cheap travel and accommodation options, other countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Viet Nam have become popular hotpots for child sex offenders.
The report also highlights the increasing danger posed by expanding access to the Internet, which it says is imperiling children and placing them at greater risk of abuse and exploitation. It claims that the production of online child sexual abuse material in the Philippines now generates up to US$1 billion of annual revenue; some countries in the region have been identified as major hosts of child sexual abuse images; and in Lao PDR, some CD shops openly sell child sexual abuse material.
“The threat of online sexual abuse is something faced by children around the world,” says Deesawade. “And as Southeast Asia becomes increasingly connected, it becomes more connected to this global problem.”
EAGLE and ETOA partner together to further enhance the collaboration opportunities between Chinese and European tourism professionals
Wednesday, 21st February 2018
EUROPE ASIA GLOBAL LINK EXHIBITIONS (EAGLE), a recently established joint venture between Italian Exhibition Group and VNU Exhibitions Asia, and ETOA – European tourism association, the leading Trade Association for Tour operators and Tourism suppliers, have signed an agreement to strengthen the international presence of their respective platforms. The partnership includes a set of promotional activities and special incentives for ETOA members to explore and increase business opportunities in the Chinese tourism market.
EAGLE, headquartered in Shanghai, is the organizer of two important tourism exhibitions held in China, Shanghai World Travel Fair, scheduled for 24th-27th May, 2018 (the 15th edition) and Travel Trade Market (TTM) which will make its debut for the first time from 5th- 7th September, 2018 in Chengdu, Sichuan. These two China based tourism events together with TTG TRAVEL EXPERIENCE, the main marketplace in Italy organized each October in Rimini by Italian Exhibition Group, create a global tourism network that facilitates the communication within the world tourism industry.
“We are thrilled to join forces with ETOA in order to build new platforms to shorten the distances for doing business in China and the Far East and give European tourism professionals a direct path to do business in these regions.” – said Mr. Corrado Facco, Managing Director of Italian Exhibition Group and Chairman of EAGLE.
Mr. David Zhong, President of VNU Exhibitions Asia and Vice Chairman of EAGLE added: “With over 10 million Chinese tourists visiting Europe each year and the increasing trend, these type of partnerships are crucial in today’s dynamic and fast changing environments. In particular, our newly launched exhibition in Chengdu, will give ETOA members the opportunity to tackle down the needs of Central and Western cities in China that show a continuously growing appetite for tourism services.”
“ETOA is involved in such EU-funded projects as World Bridge Tourism and Partnerships in European Tourism. These support tourism businesses wishing to expand their businesses into the Chinese market. We are happy to continue in this work facilitating business relationships between China and Europe. We hope this partnership will enable members to establish good contacts with the Chinese travel trade, and increase the amount of business in China and the Far East.” – said Mr. Tom Jenkins, CEO, ETOA.
More than 500 international exhibitors and over 13,000 trade visitors and buyers, mainly from East parts of China, are expected to gather together at the 15th edition of Shanghai World Travel Fair (SWTF) scheduled to take place from 24th – 27th May 2018 in Shanghai, China. The show is a B2B and B2C format that focuses mainly on the growing demand for outbound tourism from China. Whereas, Travel Trade Market (TTM) will open its doors for the first time in Chengdu, Sichuan from 5th- 7th September 2018 as a pure B2B event that covers both INBOUND and OUTBOUND tourism sectors in China. It gives international exhibitors the opportunity to meet the most qualified tourism buyers of the second and third tier cities located in the Central and Western parts of China and at the same time puts together the Chinese destinations and inbound tourism operators with buyers from all over the world.
Supporting tourism development in Africa through better measurement
In an effort to better measure tourism growth and development in Africa, UNWTO signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation for the Strengthening of the National Tourism Statistical System of Nigeria and the Development of a Tourism Satellite Account.
UNWTO is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives.
On the occasion of the meeting between UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, and the Minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the agreement to host the Sixty-First meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa and the Seminar on ‘Tourism Statistics: A Catalyst for Development’ in Nigerian capital, Abuja, from 4 to 6 June 2018, was signed.
The meetings will be open to the participation of UNWTO Member States and Affiliate Members, as well as invited delegations and representatives of the tourism and related sectors. Officials of immigration departments, national statistics bureaus, central banks and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to join
European Tourism 2017: Fantastic Results
BRUSSELS, February 13, 2018 —
Europe welcomed 671 million international tourist arrivals in 2017, an outstanding 8% growth compared to 2016 (+2%). Europe has consolidated, for the eight consecutive year, its position as the leading destination worldwide.
According to the latest European Travel Commission’s “European Tourism 2017-Trends & Prospects”, regional expansion was supported by the economic growth in major source markets and the recovery of destinations previously affected by security concerns. Almost all monitored destinations saw increases in tourist arrivals with more than a half growing in excess of 10%.
“The upturn in the global economy paves the way to reorient European and national policy to support the drivers of tourism growth, promote long-term sustainable development and be a more effective catalyst for job creation in Europe,” said Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of ETC.
Turkey (+28%) experienced an impressive rebound in visitor arrivals with growth largely driven by Russian outbound flows (+465.2%). Iceland (+24%), the fastest growing destination since 2012, showed robust results while its government considers measures to address “over tourism”.
Destinations in Southern/Mediterranean Europe Montenegro (+19%), Serbia (+18%) Malta (+16%), Slovenia and Cyprus (both +15%) also boosted growth and have proved their success in overcoming seasonality. Finland (+14%) enjoyed a solid increase fuelled by Chinese and Indian arrivals. Established summer destinations Croatia (+14%), Portugal (+12%) and Spain (+9%) also saw healthy growth. In Spain political tensions in Catalonia seem not have weighed down tourism demand while improved air connectivity continues to underpin Portugal’s strong performance.
Strengthening Economic Conditions in Key Source Markets Boost European Tourism Demand
Growth from the UK largely continued despite a weakened Pound with several destinations posting double-digit increases. France and Germany continued to be a source of notable arrivals growth for several European destinations aided by encouraging economic conditions that support private consumption.
Russian outbound travel has picked up following years of declines. All but one reporting destinations enjoyed a strong rebound in arrivals from this market. Despite some recent softening, a stronger US dollar and competitive air fares contributed to growth in tourist arrivals from the US, up +12% in 2017 compared to 2016. In China improved air connectivity and its expanding middle class continue to drive travel demand. In 2017, Europe saw a remarkable 16% increase from China, compared to the flat growth in 2016.
Fernando Hierro, new UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism
International football star Fernando Hierro has been named Ambassador for Responsible Tourism in a meeting held today at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with its Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.
“As tourists, each of us can change the world if we act responsibly with regard to the places, the people and the cultures we visit. I feel part of this team and I support the World Tourism Organization in its efforts to ensure that tourism benefits everyone,” said Hierro upon accepting the distinction from UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
Fernando Hierro’s legacy is closely associated with Real Madrid, a team with which he played more than 600 matches. Over his career, he won five Spanish La Liga titles, five Spanish Super Cups, the Copa del Rey, three UEFA Champions League titles and two Intercontinental Cups, among others. As part of the national team of Spain, he played 89 matches and participated in the World Cup in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 and in the UEFA European Championship in 1996 and 2000. He is currently the sports director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
“Fernando is an exceptional athlete and an example of personal integrity, and as a friend of the UNWTO, he will help us promote the positive values and real benefits that tourism can represent,” said Zurab Pololikashvili.
Fernando Hierro thus joins Vicente del Bosque, the legendary Spanish football coach, who was named Ambassador for Responsible Tourism last 17 January during the annual UNWTO Awards for Tourism Innovation.
UNWTO’s decision for ITB is not without victims: Children abused through tourism
The activities of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection are co-ordinated by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretariat and monitored by an Executive Committee established in November 2000. At least members of this executive commettee thought this was the case.
The World Tourism Network on Child Protection is an open-ended network featuring the multi-stakeholder participation of a range of tourism stakeholders, from governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to tourism industry groups and media associations. Originally formed in 1997, since 2007 its mandate has been to prevent all forms of youth exploitation in the tourism sector (i.e. sexual exploitation, child labor and child trafficking).
This executive committee was not consulted when on February 6, 2018 Marina Diotallevi, head of Ethics and Social Responsibility of UNWTO informed the same members in a letter saying, the Secretariat is currently immersed in the process of revising the approach and strategy given to UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection in order to reinforce its effectiveness and scope.
This is all a good approach, but the next sentence in the letter saying: ”For this reason, we are envisaging a new formula for this activity, it has been decided not to carry out the meeting of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection, or its Executive Committee, in March 2018 at ITB Berlin as customary.
Change of the system is long overdue and good. Juergen Steinmetz, publisher of this newswire and chairman of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) has been a decade-long member of the committee and many times openly voiced his criticism and concern. Today he said: “ This move by the new UNWTO leadership is very surprising and disrespectful to the dedicated members of our executive committee. It would have been great to use the time everyone had planned for this important annual meeting in Berlin to discuss a new approach going forward. It would have been even better if the new Secretary General could have shown some personal interest and attend such a meeting. Instead of attending he canceled this meeting altogether.”
“Dictating a cancellation of this meeting without the input of the very same executive committee that is in charge of monitoring Child Protection activities at UNWTO is outrageous. Every year we show good practices at our public event at ITB. Not giving this exposure and this chance for those that had prepared all year to speak at the event at ITB is more than disappointing. Not given countries, organizations meeting in Berlin from around the globe to engage and discuss this widespread problem of child abuse in tourism is scandalous. “
When Steinmetz asked Dorothy Rozga, Executive Director of ECPAT International the response was.: “ I am trying to understand what is behind the decision. There may be more to this than meets the eye.” ECPAT is an essential member of the UNWTO Executive committee and an authority in the world when it comes to child protection.
A scene of the past?
ECPAT’s 102 members in 93 countries have one common mission: To eliminate the sexual exploitation of children. ECPAT was recently honored by INTERPOL for fighting sexual exploitation of children.
Dorothy Rozga was a speaker at the UNWTO General Assembly in September 2017, conducted in Chengdu, China. This was organized by former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai.
Dr. Rifai had said: There is a bright and black side to tourism; we need to recognize the black side exists and address it with no shame. We need zero tolerance to any form of child exploitation. We cannot allow the tourism infrastructure to be used for this and shouldn’t have any issues in exposing such situations.”
As of January 1, 2018, a new person is running the UNWTO as secretary general. This person is Zurab Pololikashvili, the former Georgian Ambassador to Spain.
From the minute Mr. Pololikasvili took over communication with UNWTO became a challenge for this publication and most likely for many others, including for some in the UNWTO leadership like the members of the Executive committee for child protection.
A tourism minister who talked to eTN without wanting to be named thought this could be a move to eliminate critical media like eTurboNews or WorldTourismWire to be part of the UNWTO machinery. “I bet there will be no further meetings of the same executive committee.”
Several requests to UNWTO public relations to get an explanation why the ITB meeting was canceled without input by the committee remain unresponded to.
It’s not the only mystery these days at UNWTO in Madrid. Decisions on who is actually leading the organization are remaining a secret and announcements are circulated after weeks of a delay.
The Child Protection Network’s meetings were held annually at the ITB trade and travel show in Berlin. The 3-hour event always served as a platform for key actors to exchange experiences and best practices, present awareness-raising materials, and capacity building tools, and promote the adoption of professional codes of conduct or other responsible practices in line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
Carol Bellamy, Chair of the (UNWTO) World Network on Child Protection explained in a 2013 interview:
Here is what happened last year in March 2017.
The 2017 meeting was chaired by Carol Bellamy
Attending:
Governments
H.E. Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism of Kenya
Widad Sherman, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Tourism, Kenya
Tokiaritefy Rabeson, General Director of Tourism Development, Ministry of Tourism, Madagascar
Khin Than Win, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar
Zeyar Myo Aung, Director, Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar
Magdalena Montero, Adviser to the Minister of Tourism of Uruguay and Representative of the Regional Task Force for the Protection of Children in Travel and Tourism of the Americas (GARA)
Law Enforcement
Mohamed Basheer, Chief Inspector, Head of Family and Child Protection Department, Maldives Police Service
Private sector
Arnaud Herrmann, VP Sustainable Development, Accor Hotels
Andreas Mueseler, Chairman of the Sustainability Committee, German Travel Association (DRV)
Nikki White, Head of Destinations and Sustainability, ABTA
Elise Allart, Manager of Sustainable Development, TUI Benelux & TUI Group 2
Civil Society/NGOs
Joanna Rubinstein, President & CEO, World Childhood Foundation USA
Dorothy Rozga, Executive Director, ECPAT International
Rosa Martha Brown, President and Founder of Infantia Foundation & International Federation of Executive Women in Travel (FIASEET), Mexico
Media
Juergen Steinmetz, Publisher and President, eTurboNews
International Organizations
Beth Verhey, Senior Advisor, Children’s Rights and Business, UNICEF
Simon Steyne, Senior Adviser of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, ILO
UNWTO Secretariat
Márcio Favilla L. de Paula, Executive Director
Marina Diotallevi, Head, Ethics and Social Responsibility Programme
Igor Stefanovic, Senior Programme Assistant, Ethics and Social Responsibility
Observer
Ms. Alice Akunga, Country Representative, UNICEF Maldives
After welcoming remarks by Márcio Favilla L. de Paula, Executive Director, UNWTO, discussed was the upcoming special session at ITB 2017 entitled; Governments as champions of child protection in tourism
Uruguay presented best practices on Tourism and prevention of sexual exploitation of children in the Americas
The Modern Slavery Act and its implications for tourism industry stakeholders was introduced by ABTA. The Approach of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) had an interesting program among its members
Further discussed: Best practices by ExCom participants: Putting child protection in the context of the Int’l Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development / implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Advancing youth empowerment through travel and tourism: UNWTO/Amadeus/Government of Kenya pilot project in Nairobi
ECPAT-USA and Marriott International Announce New Partnership to Protect Children from Trafficking
Action by Leading International Hotel Chain Highlights National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
ECPAT-USA, the country’s leading anti-child trafficking policy organization, announced a new partnership with global hospitality company Marriott International to combat and prevent human trafficking and exploitation in all forms. Marking National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Marriott International signed ECPAT-USA’s Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct (The Code), an industry-driven responsible tourism initiative with a mission to provide awareness, tools, and support to the travel and hospitality industry in order to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.
“Everyone has a role in fighting human trafficking and preventing child sexual exploitation,” said David Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Marriott International. “At Marriott International, we are training all of our associates on how to identify the indicators of human trafficking and partnering with ECPAT-USA and the broader industry to stop this crime from landing at our front doors and in our communities.”
“We are honored to partner with Marriott International to fight child sex trafficking and exploitation in all forms,” said Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA. “With ECPAT-USA’s policies and training in place, Marriott’s associates will be able to identify and report potential cases of trafficking and bring protection to victims. As an iconic brand, Marriott International’s deep commitment to human rights and social responsibility will generate public awareness and support for the growing movement to end child sex trafficking.”
The signing represents the latest development in ECPAT-USA’s collaboration with Marriott. In 2011, ECPAT-USA partnered with Marriott to co-develop training to help hotel employees recognize the indicators for human trafficking, including the commercial sexual exploitation of children. More recently, they partnered with the American Hotel and Lodging Association to make comprehensive human trafficking training available to the hotel industry more broadly. In January 2017, Marriott adopted a mandatory human trafficking training requirement for its on-property workforce across more than 6,500 properties in 127 countries and territories. The company has so far trained more than 225,000 people who wear a Marriott badge. Now, the global hotel company is taking its commitment a step further by signing The Code and establishing ECPAT-USA as a strategic partner in raising awareness of trafficking across its portfolio of 30 leading hotel brands including The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels, and more.
The hotel industry is a crucial partner in the fight to end child sex trafficking because traffickers are known to use travel infrastructure to conduct their crimes and abuse victims. With proper protocols and training, hotel associates are uniquely positioned to identify, report and bring protection to victims.
For more than 25 years, ECPAT-USA has been fighting to protect every child’s basic human right to grow up free from the threat of sexual exploitation and trafficking. One of the organization’s most critical initiatives to protect children is engagement with the tourism and hospitality industry.
ECPAT partners with travel industry leaders to sign The Code, a set of guidelines to protect children from exploitation. Marriott International is the latest to join a family of notable U.S. airlines, hotels, travel management companies, and other brands partnering with ECPAT-USA to lead the private sector response to trafficking. Together, these industry leaders reduce the channels in which traffickers operate.
As a member of The Code and its efforts to end child sex trafficking, Marriott International will implement the following six criteria:
Establish a corporate policy and procedures against sexual exploitation of children
Train employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases
Include a clause in further partner contracts stating a common repudiation and zero tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children
Provide information to travelers on children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and how to report suspected cases
Support, collaborate and engage stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children
Report annually on the company’s implementation of Code-related activities
Uber Partners with ECPAT-USA to Help Combat Human Trafficking
All US Driver Partners to Receive In-App Resources to Help Identify and Report Suspected Cases
Pledging its commitment to help end human trafficking, Uber has partnered with ECPAT-USA and other leading organizations to provide education and awareness to ALL driver-partners across the United States.
Human trafficking often affects the most vulnerable in our communities, whether adults, teens, or children. It is a problem that impacts all cities and all forms of transportation. For National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Uber will provide information on trafficking to U.S. drivers via an in-app message. The message includes tips on how to spot potential human trafficking and ways to report it. Additional educational information developed with partners like ECPAT-USA will be made available to drivers on Uber’s website.
“Uber connects millions of people daily all around the globe, and drivers are uniquely positioned to help identify and ultimately prevent human trafficking,” said Tracey Breeden, Uber Safety Communications. “Working together with our national partners, we will utilize our innovation and technology along with the scope and scale of our global community to commit to helping prevent and raise awareness and empower community heroes. Together we can help disrupt and end human trafficking in the cities we serve.”
“As soon as Uber’s Safety team learned about the role they could play in protecting children, they took action,” said Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA. “We applaud their commitment to preventing human trafficking of any kind on the platform and sharing educational materials that help prepare drivers to recognize the signs associated with the sexual exploitation of children.”
Since 2016, Uber has worked with ECPAT-USA to develop resources for drivers to help identify and report human trafficking. Uber is the first and only company in the on-demand space to sign The Code, ECPAT-USA’s responsible business initiative to protect children from trafficking. Now, Uber will be proactively providing a way for driver-partners to be aware of and feel comfortable reaching out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
In December 2016, a Sacramento area driver helped a girl, 16, escape from a human trafficking operation. He noticed suspicious behavior during a trip and reported it to police. From Phoenix to Philadelphia, drivers have been credited with helping break up operations and aiding victims of human trafficking.
Visit Uber’s human trafficking driver resource page.
Meet Keith, the Uber driver-partner whose awareness and quick thinking helped him save a 16-year-old girl from trafficking.
WTTC: Travel & Tourism to generate 2.4 million new jobs in Indonesia
The Travel & Tourism sector is set to generate 2.4 million new jobs in Indonesia. This is according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Travel & Tourism contributed 6.2% of Indonesia’s GDP, a total of 770 trillion rupiah. Jakarta itself contributes 41% of Indonesia’s Travel & Tourism.
Speaking at the Panorama Mega Conference in Jakarta, Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC said, “Travel & Tourism is an important contributor to Indonesia’s economy, accounting for over 6% of GDP. In addition, with foreign visitor spend contributing 220 trillion rupiah to the economy, Travel & Tourism accounted for over 55% of Indonesia’s service sector exports. I congratulate the government of President Widodo, in particular Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, on their prioritisation of and commitment to our industry. Thanks to their support for the Travel & Tourism sector, 2.4m new jobs will be created.”
President Widodo has set an ambitious target to attract 20 million visitors in 2019, nearly double that of 2016. He also called for $20 billion in investment in the sector to support this rapid growth. In 2016 Indonesia granted visa free access to nationals of 169 countries, opening up the country to more foreign visitors.
Ms Guevara continued, “Indonesia is a prime example of a government which is taking the right approach to tourism development with strategic investment to support sustainable growth and policies which facilitate travel. There is work still to be done, and partnership between the public-sector authorities and private sector enterprises is vital for the ambitious target. WTTC is delighted to support Indonesia’s travel sector in this endeavour.”
Prior to the Conference, Ms Guevara held a private meeting with Minister Yahya, to discuss opportunities and priorities for Indonesia’s Travel & Tourism sector. She also commended the Minister on the government’s handling of the recent volcanic eruptions from Mount Agung in Bali.
Pemuteran Bay Coral Protection Foundation in Bali has been shortlisted for the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award, which will be presented at the upcoming 18th WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 18-19 April 2018.
New initiative to enhance Child Protection within the Bali tourism industry
Jakarta, Thursday 1st February 2018 – The ChildSafe Movement, an award-winning
global movement protecting children from all forms of abuse, launches in Bali with the
support of renowned travel organization Buffalo Tours Indonesia. Together they seek to
improve child protection and sustainable tourism on the “Island of the Gods”.
Travel Bali, Be ChildSafe. Follow the 7 Tips & protect children on your journey.
#BaliChildSafeParadise
With the support of Buffalo Tours, acclaimed social enterprise Friends-International are
delighted to announce the launch of the ChildSafe Movement in Bali. Together with Yayasan
Teman Baik, their local Indonesian program helping marginalized children, youth and their
families, the ChildSafe Movement raises awareness of child protection among all tourism
industry stakeholders, including promoting tourist behaviors and actions that will prevent risk
to children and effectively protect them. ChildSafe activities will include international media
and grassroots campaigning, educating tourists, as well as training and certifying businesses.
The result is a unique local and international network empowered to stand up against the
exploitation of vulnerable children in the tourism industry.
ChildSafe’s Traveler Tips and campaigns provide practical advice to tourists on better ways
to help protect children. Large-scale awareness raising campaigns and initiatives increase the
global response to child rights violations and further protect children from harm. These
campaigns, including “Children Are Not Tourist Attractions”, aimed at addressing the
alarming growth of orphanage and school tourism, have already reached millions of
individuals across the world and are supported and promoted by UNICEF and the United
Nations World Tourism Organization.
Through following ChildSafe Certification process, Buffalo Tours are at the forefront of the
growing international recognition of the importance of implementing child protection within the
tourism industry. Buffalo Tours have offered their assistance in the form of facilities and logistic
support, to help ChildSafe implement their campaign in Bali. They have also mobilized their
staff, Destination Ambassadors and suppliers to further enhance their commitment to child
protection.
Buffalo Tours now join the hundreds of other ChildSafe Alliance Partners, Supporters and
Certified Businesses around the world, all easily identified by their use of the characteristic
‘thumbs up’ logo! They are also listed on the ChildSafe website, a comprehensive resource
and source of information for all to ensure a global approach to child protection which
includes the important ‘7 Tips for Travelers’.