Become a member
Join over 300 global leaders around the world to end the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
Mitigate risks
Ensure your business can respond to risks or costs associated with this crime by actively taking action to protect children.
Create a child safe business
Implement policies and procedures that will
help keep children safe across the globe whilst also attracting responsible customers.
Gain access to tools and support
Gain access to free online training for your staff and support to implement the six criteria of The Code and keep children safe.
Application Process
Apply online
To begin the application process please fill out our online application form. This process is very simple and should only take a few minutes.
Pay
You can pay the annual membership fee on-line when you are applying or choose to receive an e-invoice afterwards. Once you have paid you will get access to the online ‘Member Portal’ and E-learning modules, and can start to implement the six criteria of The Code. The annual membership fee is based on the company’s total annual revenue per year.
Implement
You will need to submit an implementation plan to demonstrate how you will meet the six criteria of The Code. This can be done with support from your Local Code Representative.
Sign
After being approved, you will receive a formal agreement form. This agreement form will be pre-signed by the Chairman of The Code and you need to add an electronic signature. The electronic signature is very easy and takes only two minutes.
Member!
Once you have signed the agreement, your company is officially a member of The Code and will be listed on our website. Your company can then add The Code’s logo to your website and print a membership certificate.
The Code welcomes applications for membership from a wide range of business and organisations. This includes the travel and tourism industry, volunteering organisations, companies whose employees travel for work, the ICT industry and more.
As a member of The Code, your company will commit to implementing six criteria to keep children safe.
- Establish a policy and procedures against sexual exploitation of children.
- Train employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases.
- Include a clause in contracts throughout the value chain stating a common repudiation and zero tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children.
- Provide information to travellers on children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and how to report suspected cases.
- Support, collaborate and engage stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children.
- Report annually on the implementation of the six criteria of The Code.
Annual Revenue | Membership Fee |
0 – 500,000 Euros per year | 50 Euros per year |
500,000 – 2.5 million Euros per year | 300 Euros per year |
2.5 – 50 million Euros per year | 800 Euros per year |
Over 50 million Euros per year | 2,000 Euros per year |
Membership fees can be paid securely online via PayPal.
Members of The Code adhere to a strict voluntourism and orphanage tourism policy to ensure children are protected. If your company has any volunteering we recommend you read this policy before you begin your application.
The Code does not accept membership of organisations involved in voluntourism activities which:
- have orphanages and other residential care centres incorporated (or with the possibility to incorporate) in tourism programs or packages.
The Code does accept membership of organisations involved in voluntourism activities that:
- limit child-related voluntourism activities to supervised teaching, sports, day–care centres and that have clear policies and procedures in place to minimise the risks and maximise the benefit to children in these settings do not focus directly on children.
Members and applicants that are involved in voluntourism activities are required to adhere to an extra minimum set of criteria, on top of the six criteria of The Code.
Our members are supported in-country by local organisations called Local Code Representatives or ‘LCRs’. This includes supporting you to develop your implementation plan, developing child protection policies and training staff.
Find our LCRs here.
Top Members are companies who have gone above and beyond to successfully implement all six criteria of The Code. Once achieved, your company will be recognised as a ‘Top Member’ on our website and gain access to a ‘Top Member’ logo certificate demonstrating your commitment to protecting children from sexual exploitation.