Tourists can reduce demand for illicit goods and services which fund transnational organized crime operations by making ethical consumer choices and by being aware of the most common illicit goods and services offered to international travelers, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a joint statement.
Central to the plan, which will be implemented later in 2013, is that even seemingly harmless products can have “devastating effects on the lives of innocent people, on wildlife, or on cultural property,” the UNODC and UNWTO said. Global demand is magnified by the fact that over one billion tourists now cross international borders every year.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that a more informed public could be vital in “turning the tide” against transnational crime, and could help reduce human trafficking, the ivory trade, and other illegal industries which cause “immense suffering.”The initiative will ask hotels, travel agencies and airlines to help educate travelers on the dangers of the illicit market. "Through coordinated efforts, we can ensure that awareness travels -- that tourism authorities, travel companies and tourists join us in this fight," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.The campaign is an extension of the UNWTO’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which encourages tourists to be respectful of their host country, to obey international norms regarding purchases, imports, and exports, and to respect endangered fauna and flora.