Tourism Department alive to child abuse

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M. Sivasankar, Director, Tourism Department, said here on Monday that while economic growth contributed by the tourism sector was crucial to the State, the department did not need a single rupee coming from child abusers and was willing to work with any agency to check sexual exploitation of children by tourists. Speaking on �Consultation on child sexual abuse related to tourism at the second day of a seminar organised by the Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society, Mr. Sivasankar said the department had started to accept that child abuse in the context of tourism in Kerala was not a myth but a reality.

He said while it was possible to detect and take prompt action against illegal activities in the organised tourism sector, only social interventions and multiple support systems for children could check such activities in the unorganised sector.

Director-General of Police Jacob Punnoose suggested the introduction of annual certification for tourism establishments and home-stays as a possible intervention strategy to check tourism-based illegal practices