ECPAT-USA combats the child sex tourism by: 1) working with the private sector to adopt and implement the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism; and 2) education, training and awareness raising aimed at the travel industry, sex tourists, public authorities, elected officials and the general public about the harms of child sex tourism, the laws against it and what can be done to stop it.   

The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism is the primary tool for combating child sex tourism.  The Code of Conduct is a partnership of ECPAT and the private sector to prevent the sexual exploitation of children at tourism destinations.  Companies that sign the Code of Conduct agree to implement the following measures:

• Establish a corporate ethical policy against commercial sexual exploitation of children.
• Train company personnel in the country of origin and travel destinations.
• Introduce clauses in contracts with suppliers, stating a common repudiation of sexual exploitation of children.
• Provide information to travellers through catalogues, brochures, inflight films, ticket-slips, websites, etc. 
• Provide information to local “key persons” at destinations.
• Report annually to the Code of Conduct secretariat.

The Code was initiated in April 1998 by ECPAT Sweden in cooperation with Scandinavian tour operators and the World Tourism Organization (WTO). In 2004, UNICEF joined the campaign and is promoting the Code as a best practice for the travel industry to protect children’s rights.

The Code of Conduct was launched in North America at a ceremony hosted by UNICEF in 2004.   The U.S. State Department has issued a fact sheet on child sex tourism, recommending that company implement best practices such as the Code of Conduct.  ECPAT-USA is campaigning to raise awareness about child sex tourism to gain the support of companies for the Code of Conduct.  The Code of Conduct website is www.thecode.org.

The Code of Conduct is currently implemented globally by over 600 companies in 23 countries, including tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, tourism umbrella organizations and tourism workers’ unions in Europe, Asia and Latin America .  Companies have that have signed the Code of Conduct by country:

2) Education, Training and Awareness Raising.  ECPAT-USA organizes and speaks at public events, hearings, panel discussions and other venues to call attention to the problem of child sex tourism, the laws against it, the causes of and characteristics of child sex tourism, the profile of sex tourists, and what can be done to combat child sex tourism.  For a partial list of presentations. Click here

Through its Protect Child in Tourism (PCT) Project, ECPAT-USA promotes the Code of Conduct and conducts trainings for the travel industry, government officials, including law enforcement officers, and NGOs in the U.S., Mexico and Belize .