The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Since September 2018, South American Tours is an official member of The Code to actively combat the sexual abuse of children.

Why SAT became a member of The Code
All children deserve a normal and happy life; for this, they need to be protected and stood up for. Although South America is not a common destination for sex tourism, there are cases of child abuse. As a leading DMC in South America, it is our responsibility to prevent and reduce these crimes, and to ensure that they are sentenced accordingly. At SAT, we do not tolerate any form of child abuse and our staff and partners work actively to identify critical situations, report any incidents to authorities, and protect children in South America.

About The Code
Child abuse is one of the worst felonies. Unfortunately many criminals use their anonymity in foreign countries to abuse and exploit children. This is why the tourism industry decided to fight jointly against the sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and tourism activities.

Therefore, in 1998 The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism was initiated as a multi-stakeholder initiative . It creates awareness, and provides tools and support to the tourism industry to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

The six criteria of The Code
Members of The Code commit themselves to fulfill the following six criteria:
1. To establish a policy and procedures against sexual explotation of children.
2. To train employees in children's rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases.
3. To include a clause in contracts throughout the value chain stating a common repudiation and zero tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children
4. To provide information to travelers on children's rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases.
5. To support, collaborate and engage stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children
6. To report annually on the implementation of The Code.

For further information visit
http://www.thecode.org/