- Italy ranks 5th globally for number of offenders of child pornography and sex tourism, though it has strong laws against these crimes. However, monitoring and enforcement of these laws is lacking. - A survey of European tour operators found that only 30 out of 300 responded, and most did not consider addressing sex tourism to be their responsibility. Only a small minority took proactive steps like employee training or informing customers. - In Italy, most tour operators trust their foreign suppliers and partners without proper vetting, allowing some to potentially enable child exploitation abroad. While Italian law is advanced, more needs to be done to monitor compliance and punish violations.

1. Avvenire Domenica 26 settembre 2010
LE INCHIESTE DI AVVENIRE
Child pornography alert
During the presentation in Palermo of a report by the national Authority in charge of
monitoring the phenomenon, a light and shade situation emerges: our country is at the 5th
place for number of offenders, regardless of state of the art legal tools. Which are not applied
though.
This is why

2. PLANET ABUSE
The coverage by the media on tourist practices is lacking as well: only 4 out of 10 answered
the survey proposed by the Observatory monitoring the implementation of norms.
In Europe things are even worst
From Palermo
And European tour operators?
Very few, and specialized in social responsibility, while most of them don't even consider it. The
Enbt Observatory has chosen this year to enlarge the survey panel to french, German and British
tour operators, with surprising results. The answered surveys have been only 30, that is 10% of the
total. In 83% of cases no answer was received, 4% was not considered suitable, while 3% (8 tour
operators) refused the interview.
“We have probably found out those that promoted sex tourism”, assumes Ebnt president Mr.
Gabriele Guglielmi. It is discovered that only 23% of European tour operators is active in training
and keeping up to date employees (half of the Italian total), 20% informs their clients (one fourth)

3. and only 10% declares to being committed in raising awareness in supplying companies. Only
“Terre Voyages” (France) schedules to include the Code of Conduct within the contract. The
French are the most active on the front of battle against sex tourism implying child abuse, while in
Germany none of the interviewed operators declared to enclose the Code of Conduct in information
documents or in contracts regarding clients and suppliers. Only few of the very big operators, in
partnership with Ecpat, manage to field concrete initiatives. The vast majority of small and medium
enterprises don't consider themselves interested in the problem, giving incredible and somewhat
dull motivations: “We are a small operator”, “There is no risk in our destinations”, “Our suppliers
and clients are serious people”,”We only worry about offering transportation and accommodation,
what happens at the destination is none of our business”.
by Alessandra Turrisi
Only 20% of operators take care of the problem and take precautions: only half of the Italian total
Sex tourism?
Good laws. And that's it.
Italy “virtuous” only in theory: bad monitoring
by LUCIA BELLASPIGA
The international definition is:
traveling offender :
It's the “sex tourist”, someone who travels hunting innocent victims, children or teenagers to exploit
sexually. Showing no mercy or qualms. A global plague, which divides planet Earth in two
“hemispheres”: poor countries, that supply victims, and the rich ones, representing the demand. We
actually export orcs. And Italy? It is present in both categories, as everyday news show (21000
abuses each year in Italy), but most of all it stands at the fifth place in the offenders' ranking: USA,
Germany, France and Australia stand ahead of us, but then it's our turn, with our “sex tourists”
(average age25/30 years) which initially contact a normal agency, but once on the site, know very
well how to reach those “one time” children (220 million worldwide, UN figures), they know who
they have to contact, where are the right hotels, and also know that the local middlemen (local
operators, taxi drivers not necessarily without a regular license, waiters...) will be at their complete
disposal.
Here is the weak spot, the local suppliers, used by our tourist agencies to activate the usual
“packages”, without knowing if these are serious and reliable or instead serving international
pedophilia.
One of the most disturbing figures that emerge from the report “Italian and European tourism
against sexual child exploitation”, presented yesterday in Palermo by Ebnt (Ente Bilaterale

4. Nazionale del turismo) analyzing the 2010 data: “Even though Italy is very advanced from a global
point of view when it comes to norms against this phenomenon”, the survey shows, from a practical
point of view not all that is in theory is applied. So, “ with admirable determination and moral
strength, Italy was able to equip herself with efficient legal tools”, but is still behind for what
concerns the implementation of these norms.
Two in particular are the tools that position us in an advanced position: law 269 of 1998 and the
Code of Conduct that Ecpat Italia (End Child Prostitution Pornography and Trafficking, together
with unions and sector associations, has elaborated for the Italian tourism industry. Law 269,
compared to previous norms, allows to punish the crimes of prostitution and pornography even if
they are committed outside of Italy. And it provides for the obligation for tourist operators to
include in catalogues and travel information documents given to clients the following warning in a
visible way: “The Italian law punishes crimes related to prostitution and child pornography, even if
they are committed abroad”. The Code of Conduct instead (included in the 2003 national contract
for tourism sector employees determines the following for travel agencies: “training of employees
both in Italy and in destination countries”, an effective “communication to clients of the company's
commitment against sex tourism” and most of all “the stipulation of provisions within contract
which bind local suppliers of reception services”.
But, as we were saying, it is on suppliers that prevention is lacking, and the numbers of the national
Observatory on law 269 show it (thanks to a survey which was sent to 309 tourism companies, but
to which only 42% answered, already explaining much): if up to 78% of tourist agencies comply
with the obligation to inform their clients (this is the positive news), only 47% of companies is
active towards employees, and only 23% worries about tourist services suppliers in foreign
countries.
Tour operators in fact are satisfied with “trusting their traditional suppliers”, therefore they don't
feel the need to develop specific control actions and training. But trust is not enough.
Luckily there are enterprises which seriously commit, which produce ad hoc information leaflets,
cooperate with associations and authorities in destination countries, subsidize orphanages and
actions to fight against the phenomenon:” Why should we not activate the international mechanisms
of prize-punishment for virtuous operators -is the proposal coming form the Palermo meeting – like
for example reporting on web sites and tourist guides?”. In air transportation international black
lists have worked, “likely white lists could start a positive circle”. And a market prize:”We would
demonstrate that respect pays more than exploitation”.
Travel agencies trust foreign tour operators, which in many cases support child exploitation. In this
way, for what concerns crimes, we are in a black list.

5. The accusation ««too many shortcuts on web sites»»
from PALERMO
ALESSANDRA TURRISI
“The law against sex tourism abroad exists in Italy, but who is monitoring the implementation?
Who is applying sanctions?”. This is the harsh accusation coming from the Ebnt top brass
(composed by employer organizations and sector workers) and headed to the State, during the
presentation of the information gathered by the Observatory in 2010. “We have given the ministry
of Tourism a tool, demonstrating that this problem is far from being resolved – explain the president
Mr.Gabriele Guglielmi and vice president Mr. Giuseppe Cassarà. What are they doing to enforce
the law? Not much, judging from the data”. The objective is the organization by Ecpat Italia (End
Child Prostitution Pornography and Trafficking) of a verification table, made of those who
subscribed the Code of Conduct- before the 15th
of October, when the national conference on
tourism will take place, to elaborate new proposals.
There are still many “black holes”. The gathered data regarding the web sites of interviewed tour
operators are depressing. Law 269 of 1998 determines the obligation to place warnings on
advertisements, catalogues and traveling documents, regarding punishment for the crimes of
prostitution and child sexual exploitation, also abroad. But there is no obligation regarding
publishing this information on web sites. As a result, only 2.4% of tour operators' web sites home
page we may find reference to the struggle against sex tourism, and only in 6% of online
catalogues. A drop in the ocean.
“The ministry is absent – accuses Cassarà, also president of Fiavet- we may not accept a private
approach to the problem: the law is not being applied by anyone, so we have to take care of it. This
can't go on. We need monitoring. For example, producing a norm which sanctions who does not
report the expected caption in online brochures, that are everywhere today. The tourism offer on the
net is overwhelming, in particular it is accessible by “self made” travelers. It is of the utmost
importance to intervene on this”. The 2010 survey demonstrates an improvement in the
commitment by Italian tour operators in the enforcement, at least from a formal point of view, of

6. the law. “ But it's not enough – Ebnt president Guglielmi underlines -. We are aware in fact that one
out of five is to be considered outlaw. The commitment towards raising the awareness of
employees, for example, is still very low. We want to advance a proposal of creating some training
courses, online as well, for sector workers, which could maybe result in a quality certification to the
tour operators involved. We must teach the personnel how to make clients aware without upsetting
them, in the right way”. Next year the survey will be extended to airports, air companies, hotel
chains. “Tour operators are only one sector – Guglielmi adds – we must involve other authorities
which have a role in this problem. For example, if we go to Venice airport, we may still see charter
flights leaving for Thailand or Brazil, mainly composed by men, without any briefcases. Who are
they and why are they leaving? Not for business that's for sure. Some doubts may arise”.
The warnings regarding punishment for crimes on catalogues are compulsory, also if they are not
online. The Ente bilaterale nazionale del turismo: “The ministry should intervene. One operator out
of five is outlaw also for what concerns controlling their employees”.
GOOD PRACTICES
ETHICAL TOURISM : THE “BELPAESE” ON THE PODIUM
Good practices? A black swan. But they exist
Two Italian tour operators, two French ones and a German one were selected by the observatory
and presented in Palermo. In our country we have the “Kel 12”, which considers ethical tourism its
symbol, gathering all their company principles in a “ethical paper for travels and travelers”. But
also “Viaggiland”, specialized in safari trips to Africa, which adheres to a campaign in Kenya for
the defense of children. In France instead, “Nouvelle Frontières” is dedicating a link on their home
page and a section of their catalogues to the struggle against child sexual exploitation, also

7. promoting a better awareness of employees through training courses, and supporting Development
projects in at risk areas. Just like “Fram Voyages”, which encourages to report through the web
episodes or suspect situations, that could be witnessed by the tourist during his trip. And at last,
“Studiosus”, historic German tour operator, which supports the Child Labor program, promoted by
a Kenya NGO to save the children which have ended up in the net of sex tourism. (Ale.Tu.)