Marriott Hotels Backs UNWTO Global Code of Ethics

UNWTO is committed to helping to protect children from sexual abuse. At the start of World Travel Market 2006 in London, the UNWTO 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 the Internet link to the “The Responsible Tourist and Traveler” among its confirmed bookings - UNWTO`s practical travel advice, based on the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

“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 programs 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.