Pedophilic Offending in Travel and Tourism: Addressing Mobility-Driven Risks and Strengthening Criminal Justice Responses

Abstract

The rapid expansion of global mobility and the international tourism sector in the twenty-first century has produced significant social and economic changes. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, international tourist numbers exceeded 1.4 billion, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, illustrating the vast scope of modern tourist and travel industries.^[1] While tourism has generated employment opportunities, cross-cultural exchange, and economic development for many regions, it has also produced complex social challenges that demand urgent scholarly and policy attention. Sexual exploitation of children is one of the most shocking dimensions of these issues in travel and tourism (SECTT). Originally called “child sex tourism,” this refers to those who prey on the infrastructure, mobility and socio-economic vulnerability of tourist operators and clients to sexually abuse children. In the past few years, both international bodies and advocates for child protection have used the term sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism more frequently to highlight both the exploitative and criminal characteristics of these activities than in the context of legitimate tourism activity.^[2] Although sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism encompasses diverse forms of offending, pedophilic offending may constitute one offender-related dimension within this broader phenomenon. Pedophilia should not, however, be equated with child sexual offending: the former refers to a pattern of sexual interest, whereas the latter concerns criminal conduct.