PDM Tourism Group signs The Code with ECPAT Austria
The PDM Tourism Group, a renowned specialist for travel themes in the fields of education, culture and sport, and ECPAT, an international movement against child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children who, at the CSR days of holiday-Messe Wien [tourism travel fair] signed an agreement, which decides the future cooperation.
With the signing of The Child Protection Code of Conduct sets the PDM Tourism Group a further measure of their CSR strategy. Ethics and human rights are among the core values of management and are an integral part of the corporate culture.
Within the third CSR day of the holiday-Messe Wien Christian Hawlik, COO of PDM Tourism Group, and Matthias Leisinger, Chair of The Code’s Board of Directors [www.thecode.org] formally signed the agreement. In the corporate strategy of the PDM Tourism Group, Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable travel have always been essential components. The company sees it as his duty to assume responsibility towards society and ecology.
Grégoire Leresche, CEO of PDM Tourism Group, on the collaboration with ECPAT in the implementation of The Code’s six criteria: “We are pleased to be able to expand our Corporate Social Responsibility activities in the implementation of child protection measures. ECPAT Austria is making significant and outstanding work against commercial sexual exploitation of children. We are proud to support these activities actively from now.”
Matthias Leisinger, of Kuoni Switzerland and Chairman of The Code’s Board of Directors, said: “We are delighted to have the PDM Tourism Group as a partner. The PDM Tourism Group integrates environmental and social factors in the company’s philosophy, and is committed to corporate responsibility.”
Astrid Winkler of ECPAT Austria: “We welcome the social commitment of PDM and the strategic direction of the company’s sustainability and protection of children. This enables us to jointly contribute to the improvement of children’s rights. ”
As part of the implementation, one of the first steps, customers and partners are informed about the The Code and members are to train their employees to achieve awareness and prevention.
About the PDM Tourism Group
The PDM Tourism Group is a specialized travel company Destination Management in Europe. The offer includes group tours on selected themes in the fields of culture, education, sports and music. The company owns three subsidiaries PDM Travel AG, PDM and PDM Tourist Board Homestay Services GmbH with seat in train (Switzerland) and Vienna (Austria). The PDM Tourism Group is under the umbrella of PDM Tourism Holding AG with headquarters located in train and looks back on a 20-year history.
About The Code Organisation – www.thecode.org
The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism – The Code – was developed in 1998 by ECPAT Sweden, in cooperation with tour operators and the World Tourism Organization. In 2004, the nonprofit organization “The Code” was established to manage the implementation of the Code of Conduct internationally and defines standards for accession, the implementation and the monitoring and quality assurance. The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Sexual Exploitation of Children and Travel and Tourism has been signed by some 1,000 tourism companies and organizations from 43 countries. The organization has national partners and agencies to advise the company in the implementation and support, in Austria, this is ECPAT Austria.
More information: www.thecode.org.
About ECPAT
ECPAT stands for “End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes”, was founded in November 2003 and is an alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). ECPAT Austria is a member of the international movement against child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children, ECPAT International, in Austria. The work of ECPAT Austria is guided by the principle that every child is entitled to receive comprehensive protection against all forms of commercial exploitation and sexual abuse.
Information: www.ecpat.at, www.ecpat.net.
Original source: http://www.traveller-online.at/news/detail/pdm-tourismus-group-und-ecpat-unterzeichnen-tourismus-kinderschutzkodex.html?cHash=2c8eaead27a73405b49054f64f0676d9
