On March 13-14, travel and tourism industry representatives, governments, experts and NGOs came together to discuss the protection of children in travel and tourism at an International Forum in Cancún, Mexico. The Forum was supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TUI Care Foundation and TUI Mexico and organized by ECPAT Mexico, Defence for […]

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) representing a diverse global membership within the sustainable travel and tourism industry is expanding the implementation of child protection measures. At ITB Berlin, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with The Code and ECPAT International to work together to expand standards for the protection […]

The Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism has launched a new tool for the travel and tourism industry to begin embedding human rights into their practice and business activities. The tool provides specific step by step guidelines for travel, transportation, accommodation, food and beverage and activities industries to help them analyse risks and take action. The […]

In 2014, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was established due to serious concerns that some organisations had failed and were continuing to fail to protect children from sexual abuse, particularly in light of many high profile cases. A recent investigation made public evidence of institutional failures to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse by […]

ReThink Orphanages Network, in partnership with World Challenge and Save The Children are taking their recent Australian Ethical Student Travel conference global. Over March and April speakers from government, child protection and the travel and tourism industry will be discussing how the education sector can sustainably and ethically engage with vulnerable communities when travelling abroad […]

ECPAT International has released its latest country overview report on the manifestations of sexual exploitation of children in Italy. Particular groups including Roma and Traveller children are amongst those at the highest risk for exploitation through trafficking and prostitution due to their low economic status and stigmatization. Italy is a well-known and popular tourist destination attracting […]

Recently released data from the FBI showed that 169 individuals were arrested for human trafficking including 34 for attempted offences against children in the lead up to the 2019 Super Bowl.  More than 25 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and district attorneys’ offices, along with seven non-government organizations, participated in the operation. Every […]

ECPAT International’s latest country overview has found that despite increasing tourism there is no adequate action from the government to address the risk for children in the Czech Republic. Tourism is growing at unprecedented rates with an increase of 1.5 million tourist arrivals from 2016 to a total of 20 million arrivals in 2017. Tourism […]

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has launched a 40 country bench-marking index Out of the shadows: Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation. With support from World Childhood Foundation and Oak Foundation and the Carlson Family Foundation, the index seeks to examine and rank country responses to child sexual exploitation and […]

The latest ECPAT report highlights alarmingly increasing rates of child trafficking within Bosnia and Herzegovina and that a lack of adequate legal frameworks is leaving children without protection and giving traffickers and travelling child sex offenders opportunities to offend, as well as a feeling of anonymity and impunity. In 2017 Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded a […]