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World Vision Launches Sex Tourism Prevention Program

At the start of March 2004, World Vision launched a Child Sex Tourism Prevention Program in Cambodia, Costa Rica, Thailand and the United States. In partnership with US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), World Vision is: training and alerting their extensive staff and networks in these countries to assist U.S. and local law enforcement to help to identify American sex tourists and provide information that could assist in their prosecution.

Also, in partnership with the U.S. travel and tourism industry and World Vision offices in sex tour destinations, a strategic media campaign will aim to deter U.S. citizens from participating in sex tourism. World Vision will send a deterrence message to would-be child sex tourists. In an effort to dissuade child sex tourists at each step of their activity, World Vision is placing the deterrence message in places such as: U.S. airports, television, billboards and street signs overseas, airline in-flight videos, magazines, and the internet.

The U.S. Department of State has contributed more than $500,000 to this project. This is the first U.S. Government grant ever issued for a project specifically addressing this issue.

Founded in 1950, World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization serving the world's poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries. It implements programs serving community economic development, disaster relief, sponsorship of children, food and water safety, health care, and education.