"Those who commit these acts have the impression that no one is watching anyway"
An interview on child protection in the tourism industry
Ms. Monshausen, how difficult is it to assess the extent of the problem?
Antje Monshausen: Quantifying it is very difficult. There is a huge dark figure. The reason is not only the shame felt by the children but also, in many cases, complex legal situations in which the children themselves are criminalized. In many countries, prostitution is illegal, and the age of criminal responsibility can start as early as eleven or twelve years old. As a result, very few cases are reported. This, in turn, likely drives the number of offenses even higher, as perpetrators—including women, who we estimate make up about 10 percent—feel that no one is paying attention. That is why awareness is so important. Those who have the right perspective can recognize the issue: The more people we sensitize—both travelers and those working in the industry—the more cases will be identified. A higher number of reported cases can also indicate greater awareness. To ensure that travelers worldwide can report their observations, the website https://dontlookaway.report/ was created. Through it, law enforcement authorities in the travelers’ home countries can be contacted and linked to the relevant authorities in the country where the crime occurred.
What we can say for certain is that as the tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, so does the number of offenses worldwide – simply because the number of travelers is rising significantly.
“A sustainability plan that ignores child protection is not credible”
Harald Pechlaner
Compared to other negative consequences of growing tourist numbers, this issue seems to receive little attention.
Harald Pechlaner: Yes, we generally talk a lot about the problems of excessive and socially incompatible tourism as well as as the sustainability of the sector, but very little about this aspect, the protection of children from violence and exploitation; yet this is one of the global sustainability goals. A serious and credible sustainability approach cannot ignore the issue of child protection – for me, it is a kind of litmus test.
I am very grateful to the ECPAT team, which has always come to my lectures to raise awareness among students. Through this, I have realized that the topic is discussed very little in tourism studies, and also in the many national and international organizations I am involved in. The issue needs to be on the agenda. With the forum in Rome, we want to make a start for Italy.
Why do you think it’s not on the agenda yet?
Pechlaner: The tourism sector struggles to address critical issues. In terms of business model, everything revolves around offering enjoyable hours, days, or weeks. The key word: the wellness industry. The system is not known for developing critical thinking.
In countries like Spain or Italy, there is also a cultural dimension, where some topics tend to be taboo and people often try to cover things up. We are not even close to the level of discussion seen in northern countries. That’s why it was important for us to have Antje Monshausen come to Rome.
Monshausen: From the German perspective, however, I must say that until now we have mainly focused on outbound tourism, meaning those who travel to other countries. In the Global South, ECPAT groups work extensively with the tourism industry, especially by offering training to hotels. In Germany, however, we have trained almost no hotels thus far because the issue is still almost unknown. Even in Germany, we have cases, for example, in hotels hosting conferences: business trips are just as relevant as holidays in terms of risks. Hotels are also used by local criminals and are repeatedly the scene of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
“Once the reputation of a destination is ruined, the stigma cannot be shaken off.”
Antje Monshausen
What do we know about those who commit these crimes?
Monshausen: A large part of those who commit these crimes consists of occasional criminals, and the statistics are reliable in this regard. Often, these are people who don’t attract attention back home – people with families and children who would never think of sexually exploiting minors in Germany. But abroad, they seize the opportunity. In some cases, colonial legacies and racist exotic imaginations play an important role. For example, in developing countries, it’s common to hear the justification: “They all have children at 14 anyway.” This is used to justify the idea that a 14-year-old on vacation is more mature than a 14-year-old at home. Or the act is even misunderstood as a form of “support,” because they justify they are financially aiding the children and their families.
Harald Pechlaner, we usually associate the problem with distant countries, but last year you organized a workshop with tourism operators from South Tyrol. What were the reactions?
Pechlaner: Initially, there was surprise, but then also gratitude for the exchange with experts. The support of the Hotel and Public Restaurateurs Union was important. Together, we clarified that this issue is significant wherever tourism is important, and thus also in South Tyrol. Here, we have intense and international tourism, which increases the dangers and risks. The Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone was also involved in the workshop – it is the only one in Italy to have focused on the issue of abuse with an in-depth investigation – and the Church representatives urged the tourism sector not to repeat their mistakes, but to tackle the issue proactively and focus on prevention.
Monshausen: Prevention is obviously the most important thing because child sexual exploitation cannot be compensated for; it is a wound that lasts for life, often with severe psychological and physical consequences.
As for destinations, once a reputation is damaged, the stigma cannot be shaken off. Most people immediately think of Thailand when this topic is discussed. Even though Thailand has been working intensely on protective measures for 20 years and is very committed to reducing child sexual exploitation by travelers, a different image has become deeply rooted in people’s minds. Many countries should take this as an example. This is why the tourism industry increasingly considers prevention as an economic issue, because destinations understand it: for example, if we want to establish ourselves as a high-quality destination in the family vacation segment, we need protective measures.
What should these protective measures look like?
Monshausen: There is the Child Protection Code, thecode.org, which is a voluntary self-commitment tool. To date, 300 companies worldwide have signed it, including 30 in Germany. The criteria require the company to implement a child protection strategy supported by top management. Additionally, staff must be trained. Who needs to receive this training depends on the company, but the important thing is that it includes those who have the most opportunities to observe cases of exploitation. This could be reception staff, those responsible for entertainment, the pool, or even room cleaners. The training sessions address various questions: What are the reporting procedures to the police or child protection services? How can I protect a child from further abuse? How do I communicate with parents? Awareness-raising must be accompanied by adequate tools to act correctly. Companies also commit to raising awareness among their customers, for example, through reporting procedures. ECPAT groups from many countries, including ours in Germany, collaborate with the signatories of the Child Protection Code and develop annual action plans to ensure that this protection is not just a dead letter.
Pechlaner: This is very important because in tourism, there is still a lack of professionalism, even a sense of powerlessness, when it comes to addressing these issues. However, if procedures and steps are clear, if there is knowledge of who to contact and when, it will be easier for individual companies as well. But this requires training, and that’s why we need to involve trade associations.
“Those who commit these kinds of crimes take advantage of the tourism infrastructure, therefore, it is the tourism industry's responsibility.”
Antje Monshausen
How open are the Italian associations to the issue?
Pechlaner: The first reaction is to keep the issue out of the spotlight, for fear of damaging their image. By emphasizing that the potential damage to their reputation is much greater if we do nothing, we finally managed to convince the two main associations, Federalberghi and Federturismo, to participate in the conference in Rome. Convincing requires a lot of persuasion. Antje Monshausen and ECPAT know this well – they’ve been doing it for years.
Monshausen: The key is to bring the problem out of the shadows. It simply exists, and it needs to be addressed professionally. There are also great and inspiring examples. The Colombian port city of Cartagena not only created a solid child protection network involving civil society, businesses, police forces, prosecutors, and other stakeholders, but it also launched a tourism marketing campaign: “La muralla soy yo” – “I am the wall.” The city’s most important tourist symbol, the colonial defense wall, was used to send a strong message: together, we protect our children from sexual exploitation.
The tourism industry is not at fault for the crime, but those who commit crimes use tourism infrastructure for this purpose, and therefore the tourism industry holds a share of responsibility. The same goes for individual hotels. If travelers find a notice in their room explaining how to report suspicious situations, those committing a crime will know they are being watched, which is a huge preventive measure. After all, a criminal's strategy is to look for places with few protective structures; they want to be invisible. Vacation apartments are used because there’s no receptionist who might notice, for example, if a person arrives every day with a different child.
How has digitalization changed everything, including tourism: how does it impact child sexual exploitation?
Monshausen: New forms and methods of exploitation have emerged. Perpetrators can establish contact and trust with their victims before the trip. They maintain contact online even after the trip, and images of the abuse are distributed on the internet. Pedophiles use the dark web to exchange information about safe places. The anonymity of the internet makes legal action more difficult. So, the problem has worsened in every aspect.
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