To coincide with Universal Children’s Day, EFFAT, together with FILCAMS CGIL and other partners, yesterday launched the SAFE HOST package of training and resources to equip the European tourism industry with innovative and practical tools for the struggle against child sexualexploitation throughout the whole supply chain.
“The launch of this innovative yet practical tool box marks the completion of a year-long project undertaken to map the scope of existing forms of sexual exploitation of children in European tourism, and gather the best practices of Member States in fighting it,” said Gabriele Guglielmi, Head of the FILCAMS International Department.
Building upon the EU Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and children pornography adopted in 2011 (2011/92/EU), the SAFE HOST project aims to promote joint actions and a shared responsibility among social partners, as well as relevant NGOs and social tourism stakeholders for protecting children in tourism and travel.
A further objective of SAFE HOST is awareness raising, for which the project team has developed a recognisable trademark to demonstrate a tourism operators’ completion of the training.
“Although we are at the end of the project, its aims will live on as long as the trademark continues to be used,” said Anna Quartucci, President of TaTa with Care (Association for the training of tourism’ operators), which contributed technical knowledge to the project.
“We are all aware of the importance of ensuring the continuity of this project,” stressed Kerstin Howald, EFFAT Secretary for the Tourism Sector.
Indeed, the European employers’ associations in attendance at the launch – including ECTAA, HOTREC and ISTO – demonstrated a strong commitment to dissemination, implementation and follow up of the project, including reporting and monitoring mechanisms. Surpassed in number only by the trafficking of drugs and weapons, the trafficking of children remains a problem against which all tourism providers – including hotels, restaurants, catering providers, travel agencies, tour operators, transport and tour guides – can play a role.
The SAFE HOST tool box will be available online from 15 December at http://safehost.filcams.it
