In a recent development, Representatives from across the travel and tourism industry came together at the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva to call for joint actions to finish human trafficking, forced labour and the sexual exploitation of children and share their initiatives that deal with key challenges linked with human rights concerns.
This is the first time ever The United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights came forward and representatives gathered to discuss possible solutions to these shared challenges before a United Nations audience.
In current years the travel and tourism industry has been outstretched, with international tourist arrivals increasing from 528 million in 2005 to 1,323 million in 2017.
Experts from non-profit organisations stood beside each other with senior leaders from global travel and tourism companies during the meeting, united in their shared pledge to tackling these crimes which have a direct impact on the tourism industry.
Madhu Rajesh, Director of ITP said, “ITP convenes the world’s leading hotel groups for joint action on these critical human rights issues, and in doing so we generate practical tools and programmes that help the hotel industry as a whole progress further and quicker than they can be working alone.”
Theo Noten, Programme Manager, ECPAT Netherlands said “As the reach of global tourism getting bigger, so too do the chances for those who travel to mischief the children by sexually harassing them.” The travel and tourism industry have a major task to perform in keeping children protected. Jointly with business leaders, particularly from the travel industry, we invite the private sector and governments to care for children and meet the pledges made to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals. Not a single child should be left over!”
Helen Marano, Executive Vice-President, External Affairs, WTTC said, “As a global Council which represents all of the segments of the Travel & Tourism sector, we are proud to be leading the path forward for the broader industry’s commitment to the intolerance of all aspects of human trafficking and to wipe out child sexual exploitation.”
