Cambodia launches tourism documents to combat human trafficking

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has launched documents to promote child-safe tourism to help prevent trafficking of women and children for labor and sexual exploitation in the industry, local media said on Tuesday.

The documents, which consist of a training manual, implementation principles and a strategic plan for policy-makers, are part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to fight child sex tourism, said Hor Sarun, deputy director general of administration and finance at the ministry, at the launching ceremony held here on Monday and presided over by Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

The strategies require owners of hotels, guesthouses, and other establishments to inform tourism police or relevant officials of any suspicious activities, he said.

The plan to promote policies on child-safe tourism was designed with technical and financial support from the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Philip Setkao, president of the Cambodian Hotel Association and general manager of Borei Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap, expressed his support for the initiative introduced by the ministry.

"It's good for awareness that (child sex tourism) is not the business that the country wants," he said.

Thong Khon said that the police and tourism officials are expected to use experience and knowledge obtained from the documents to prevent and reduce trafficking in children and women for labor or sexual exploitation.

[Source from; english.people.com.cn]