Marriott agrees to Support UNWTO Global Code of Ethics

At the start of World Travel Market 2006 in London, the Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism met to discuss the involvement of the tourism industry in the campaign to protect children from sexual exploitation.

As a direct result of the meeting, Marriott International agreed to distribute an Internet link to the UNWTO's practical travel advice, “The Responsible Tourist and Traveller”, among its confirmed bookings.

Marriott International sends around 6,800 pre-arrival confirmations per day, summing over 20 million emails per year to its guests.

“This decision should encourage other tourism operators and serve as an example to foster responsible tourism practices. Our goal is to create a forum for key-players in the tourism sector to exchange information and experiences on ways to prevent exploitation of children and strengthen programmes for their protection,” said the head of Ethical Tourism at UNWTO, Marina Diotallevi.

The Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism operates in the context of UNWTO's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism - a comprehensive set of principles whose purpose is to guide stakeholders in tourism development: a global action platform of tourism-related key-players from the government and the tourism industry sectors, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and media associations whose aim is to prevent, uncover, isolate and eradicate the sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

UNWTO is an active supporter of other similar initiatives within the UN system, such as those initiated by UNICEF and ILO/IPEC.

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