Tourism Groups Unite to Fight Global Child Exploitation

Tourism Industry Takes Action Against Child Exploitation
Four prominent travel companies are lending their support to a project designed to advance the work of The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code). TUI Travel, Accor, Kuoni Group and ITB are working to ensure that companies signing The Code implement the criteria and report on their work. Toward that end, a line of cloud-based, online services is being developed. The services will include an e-learning system and a new online reporting system..

Tourism industry members who sign the voluntary code of conduct commit to implement six criteria: (1) establish an ethical policy; (2) train personnel; (3) introduce a Code-related clause in contracts with suppliers; (4) provide information to travelers; (5) provide information to key persons at the destination; and (6) to report annually to The Code on the initiatives undertaken.

“It is crucial that the industry gets involved in testing, strengthening and adapting the new tools, which is why we are supporting this new private project,” said Matthias Leisinger, head of corporate responsibility at Kuoni.

Tourism Cares Makes Push for Year-End Donations
The nonprofit organization Tourism Cares is making a special request for donations to its year-end fund-raising campaign. Those who give $20 or more by Dec. 31 will be entered to win a 7-Day Freestyle Cruise from Norwegian Cruise Line. The winner can choose from a trip to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Bermuda, New England, Alaska, Canada or the Mediterranean. To date, Tourism Cares has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships, organized more than 3,600 industry volunteers in give-back projects and awarded 180 grantees around the world with funding, according to the organization.

Ensemble Conference Attendees Raise $75K for Make-a-Wish
Ensemble Travel Group members and partners attending the organization’s annual conference at Red Rock Resort Las Vegas in October raised $75,000 for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation through a raffle and live auction. “Last year’s effort brought in $61,000 and we were wildly pleased with those results,” said Lindsay Pearlman, Ensemble’s co-president. “To increase that by nearly $15K totally blew us away.”

U.S. Workers Receive – and Use – Fewer Vacation Days
Americans received fewer vacations days this year than last – and they still didn’t use them all, according to Expedia.com’s 2012 Vacation Deprivation Study. In 2012, Americans reported receiving 12 days of vacation and taking 10. Last year, they received 14 and used 12.

Conducted online by Harris Interactive, the global study surveyed 8,687 employed adults in September and October 2012 on behalf of Expedia.com. It surveyed people in 22 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.

Workers in Asia take the fewest vacation days, led by Japanese workers who, on average, take only five vacation days out of a possible13. By contrast, most Europeans have between 25 and 30 days of vacation per year, with workers in France and Spain using their full 30 days. Germans take 28 of a possible 30 days off, while British, Norwegian and Swedish workers take all of the 25 days they receive.

Workers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan and Ireland cited monetary reasons as the main reason for not taking all of their vacation time. Among all the workers, the difficulty of coordinating vacation time with family and friends was cited as the top reason for leaving vacation days on the table.

Pritzker Named 2013 Cornell Icon of the Industry
The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration named Thomas J. Pritzker, executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corp., as the recipient of the 2013 Cornell Icon of the Industry Award. Pritzker, who was recognized for his role in the hospitality industry as well as his philanthropy, will receive the award at the fifth annual Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator Awards on June 4, 2013.