Quintana Roo to Pilot Child Protection Protocol for Tourism Sector in October

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo will launch the first pilot test of a protocol to protect children and adolescents from sexual and commercial exploitation in October, giving tourism service providers practical tools to prevent and respond to potential cases.

State tourism officials finalized a first draft of the document in recent days after months of work. The pilot will involve providers across the industry, from large hotels to travel agencies, transport companies and vacation rental operators.

Omar Govea Hernández, undersecretary of tourism in the state, said the effort has produced significant progress, describing it as a major challenge because Quintana Roo unfortunately ranks among the leading states for the sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescents, and criminal networks take advantage of tourism activity to promote the crime. The sector, he said, is working hard to close every door.

Quintana Roo’s Tourism Law and its regulations already cover protections, but the new protocol is meant to give hotels, tour guides, companies, vacation rentals and digital platforms practical prevention and response mechanisms — without turning industry workers into investigators or police officers.

“What we are looking for is something useful, not just a document or one more requirement for companies,” Govea said.

An Alliance of Authorities, Business and Civil Society

The protocol is being drafted through a partnership among authorities, the private sector and organized civil society. Participants include the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Security Department, the Universidad del Caribe and ECPAT México, an organization that specializes in preventing child sexual exploitation. The hotel chain RIU is taking part through its social responsibility program.

Vacation rentals and digital platforms will also take part, presenting significant challenges because part of the prevention work must happen during booking and registration processes.

The proposal calls for using technology to flag potential warning signs without disrupting companies’ operations or diminishing the visitor experience. It also includes awareness efforts aimed at society, parents, caregivers and minors about the risks of sharing videos, photographs and other material, extending prevention beyond in-person situations to social media.

Three or four companies from different tourism segments will take part in the pilot in October. Officials aim to finish the protocol in September and test it throughout the following month.