Voluntourism Policy
As part of sustainable and responsible travel and tourism development, the industry must ensure that only responsible and safe forms of voluntourism are undertaken.
Companies should exclude visits to orphanages from tourism packages as it drives institutionalisation which causes harm to children. Without regulation and care, some forms of voluntourism allow un-vetted access to children that puts them at risk of being trafficked and sexually exploited.
To address this issue, ECPAT International / The Code developed a voluntourism policy for its current and prospective members, in addition to its main six criteria to protect children.
Learn more and download your language version of the policy.
Global Case Study: How to regulate the issue of voluntourism with children
This case study on how to regulate voluntourism that involves children is based on the analysis of actionable models resulting from the experiences of the selected origin and destination countries that undertook efforts to address this issue over the last years. The approaches and promising practices in this case study are presented as practical examples, with a technical brief to guide governments, businesses, civil society organisations, and other institutions to build effective partnerships and take action to protect children from the negative impacts of unregulated voluntourism.
Evaluation of The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (2024)
The objective of the evaluation was to understand the types of outcomes that The Code had contributed to based on the example of the selected destination countries: the Dominican Republic and Colombia with a focus on how these outcomes had come about, for whom and under what conditions. The sending countries component of the evaluation in France, Germany and the Netherlands took an exploratory approach to understand how and why The Code is implemented differently across contexts of both domestic and international tourism, how LCRs navigate advocacy through national and international partnerships, and the shifting business trends that may affect the future of The Code.
Global Report: The Role of the Informal Sector and the Sharing Economy Within Travel and Tourism in the Prevention and Response to the Sexual Exploitation of Children
This analysis explores the risks children face in the informal tourism sector, how it can be misused by those who sexually exploit children, and documents existing practices to engage the informal sector in child protection. It also examines the role of the sharing economy in preventing child sexual exploitation.
ECPAT International, 2025
Available in: English, Spanish and Portuguese
Core Competencies Framework for Tourism Education Professionals
The purpose of this framework is to contribute to improved child protection outcomes in travel and tourism, as the result of providing tourism educational professionals with a set of core competencies that can be used as a guidance when developing curricula, modules and training.
This core competencies framework for tourism education professionals to integrate child protection into training curricula is based on identified knowledge, skills and attitudes that have been agreed as essential elements to effectively protect children and youth in the travel and tourism context.
Available in: English
How does Travel and Tourism impact child protection?
Watch the video:
video by The Office of the Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
Risks of violence against children in travel and tourism
A child-friendly version of: 2022 report to the UN General Assembly by the Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
Available in English.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Zero Tolerance Policy
Zero Tolerance Policy addresses critical issues impacting the tourism industry, including child labor, human exploitation, discrimination, wildlife abuse, and the unnecessary use of single-use plastics.
Read the policy.
Preventing the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (GARA)- Action Protocol Model for Tour Guides
The Regional Action Group of the Americas for the prevention of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (GARA) created a tool to strengthen the capacities of tour guides to protect children. The Action Protocol Model for Tour Guides provides tour guides with actionable guidelines for preventing, identifying, and reporting suspected situations of sexual exploitation, and/or child labour in the different spaces where they carry out their activities— including in the remote areas and local communities.
Available in: English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Child protection standards in the travel and tourism industry: the experience of Mexico and Colombia
In the Americas, the codes of conduct in travel and tourism have developed significantly over the last two decades. These codes have been promoted by governments and civil society organisations to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation of children. This case study analyses the experience of implementing a mandatory national code in Colombia and a voluntary code in Mexico. It reflects on the implications, effectiveness, and relevance of mandatory and voluntary approaches, pointing out the challenges and opportunities, describing their main results and analysing the complementarity of these standards with ECPAT’s initiative – The Code.
The case study was developed by ECPAT International in cooperation with Fundación Renacer and ECPAT México in 2024.
Protecting Children in Travel and Tourism Case Study: Phang Nga, Thailand
This publication is based on a documentation of practice undertaken by ECPAT International within the project “Together to End Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel & Tourism in Phang Nga”.
It reflects the experiences documented throughout the implementation of the project that offers a model for building sustainable tourism destinations with child protection at the core.
(ECPAT International, 2025)
Available in English.
The Global Study
The Global Study (Offenders On The Move) is a collective effort of 67 partners from across the world and sectors that brings together the largest bank of information ever compiled on the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
A range of findings have emerged from the nine regional reports carried out for the Global Study. The reports revealed some similarities, such as increasing diversification of travel and tourism infrastructure, increased use by offenders of mobile technologies and the preponderance of domestic or intra-regional travelling offenders. However, each region faces its own particular challenges in relation to SECTT.
Effective Ways of Working with the Private Sector (Down To Zero Alliance in 2019)
This paper provides guidance for civil society organisations for how to engage with the private sector, including travel and tourism industry with regards to child protection, establishing long-lasting partnerships and cooperation.
International Summit Declaration & Call To Action (Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in 2018)
At the summit, leaders and international experts from the private sector, law enforcement agencies, international and regional bodies, as well as INGOs and youth representatives focused on coordinating and intensifying efforts to address the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
Report available in English.
Out of the Shadows Index
Out of the shadows: Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation – a 60-country benchmarking index examines how countries are responding to the threat of sexual violence against children.
