TUI Travel Accommodation & Destinations consolidates its commitment to children

In line with its active Corporate Social Responsibility policies, the company joins The Code, an industry-driven responsible tourism initiative created to prevent the sexual exploitation of children in destinations in which the company operates

TUI Travel Accommodation & Destinations, part of TUI Travel PLC, has recently joined the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code). It is an industry-driven responsible tourism initiative created to prevent the sexual exploitation of children in tourism, travel and activities. Supported by a large number of companies worldwide, its members play an essential role in the protection of children from a common crime in many countries around the globe.

By joining the initiative, TUI Travel A&D commits to developing different necessary actions for a successful implementation of a series of key criteria in daily operations in order to guarantee a prevention of this severe crime. The 6 measures that The Code requires from its members are:

1. To establish a policy and procedures against sexual exploitation of children.
2. To train employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and procedures to effectively report suspected cases.
3. To include a clause in contracts indicating the existence of policies against the sexual exploitation of children in the company.
4. To inform the clients about children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and procedures to effectively report suspected cases.
5. To support, collaborate and engage key local agents and other stakeholders in the prevention of this kind of exploitation.
6. To develop an annual report on the implementation of The Code in the organisation.

Following a specific action plan, the company will monitor the accomplishment of these criteria as well as the transparency in the tracking of all actions surrounding the plan. The objective is to carry out all the necessary efforts to achieve all the implementation standards approved every year by The Code with great success.

According to Arantxa García, Head of Sustainable Development of TUI Travel Accommodation & Destinations, “joining The Code represents another step in our real and active commitment in the fight against the exploitation of children, which is a problem that affects many children worldwide. TUI Travel A&D has been working in child protection in the tourism environment for a long time as well as implementing specific measures to contribute to eradicate these practices”.

As a socially responsible company, TUI Travel A&D has developed active Corporate Social Responsibility policies that have the aim of promoting responsible and sustainable tourism through actions that have objectives, among others, of protecting biodiversity; investing in training; reducing waste, CO₂ and water consumption as well as supporting local communities, protecting children and animal welfare.

The Code is an international organisation based in Bangkok (Thailand) and promoted by the tourism industry through the partnership with UNICEF, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), the major global network that works towards the elimination of sexual exploitation of children worldwide. Since its creation in 1996, The Code has attracted hundreds of tourism companies, some of them being members of the initiative or having signed the Code of Conduct.