Introduction

“All of the global goals are relevant for children, not only those which specifically refer to children,” says UNICEF (n.d) who also highlight the obvious links between the SDGs and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – e.g. in the areas of health (>> Goal 3), education (>> Goal 4) and overcoming violence (>> Goal 16b). In this light the 2030 Agenda is understood to be a tool highlighting the rights of children and the need for their protection. A child who is five years old in 2017 will attain adulthood by 2030. The distinction between child and adult specific goals is very fluid.

Goal 5, Goal 8 and Goal 16 include strong targets requesting concrete action and measures of UN member states to eliminate all forms of violence against girls (5.2), to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour by 2025 (8.7), and to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of chil- dren (16.2). These targets are not likely to be achieved. Violence against children will not end by 2030. The indicators to measure progress take that into consideration. Looking at the indicator related to target 16.2 (Indicator 16.2.3: Proportion of young women and men aged 18-29 years who experienced sexual violence by age 18), the proportion will never be zero. But the indicator provides information on the level of achievement, which will help to influence national politics. The SDGs can be an important building block to achieve a more protective world for children.

Where do we stand?

Despite 20 years of hard campaign work since the First World Congress on the Commer- cial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 1996, child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism has increased across the globe, out-pacing attempts to stop it. It is still not sure how many children are victims of this hidden crime because most cases are not reported, and only a few of those reported are then prosecuted. But we do know that more children are victimized than ever before and that no country is immune (ECPAT International, 2016b).

The sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is not limited to developing countries or countries with few resources. It is found everywhere, also in the world‘s richest countries, as demonstrated by research in North America and Europe. As found by the Global Study published in 2016 by ECPAT International, “offenders are continually looking for and targeting emerging travel and tourist destinations, such as Moldova, Myanmar and Peru. As countries act to tackle the crime, offenders look for new destinations where the risks of arrest are lower” (ECPAT International, 2016b, p. 107).

There is no typical child victim, all children are specifically vulnerable. But some children are more at risk than others, e.g. children in dysfunctional families, children living in poverty, orphans, members of minorities, children living and working on the street.

And there is no such thing as the typical child sex offender: business travellers, human itarian aid workers, expatriates, members of a peace mission, retirees or volunteers can all possibly become travelling child sex offenders; both men and women, and many offenders are domestic or regional tourists or travellers.

Dynamics and new trends

Massive expansion of the use of, and access to, the latest information and communications technologies (ICTs) has spurred the proliferation of the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. Online grooming, live streaming of child sexual abuse and risky online behaviour are increasingly associated with the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, although more research is needed to understand the links.

Regulation and social protection are lagging far behind fast-changing phenomena and new trends, such as online booking sites, peer-to-peer services, voluntourism, orphanage tourism, slum tourism, and eco-tourism. The unregulated development of travel and tourism can disrupt local economies and make children more vulnerable to exploitation.

Pros an cons of tourism

ECPAT International considers the tourism industry and its multiple actors key allies in combating the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism and seeks to promote and support their active involvement in ending these forms of exploitation. ECPAT also encourages national and international cooperation of law enforcement agencies to prosecute sexual crimes against children committed by foreigners abroad through extraterritorial legislation. Thus far, only 44 countries have extraterritorial laws in regard to sexual exploitation of children (ECPAT Netherlands, 2011, p.21).