The association has signed up to the Roundtable for Human rights, an alliance of civil society organisations, tour operators and trade associations dedicated to respecting human rights.
Its role will involve actively informing and participating in the Roundtable’s work to gauge the issues the travel industry can address collectively.
Abta has long worked with members on human rights issues through its Better Places programme, addressing the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism, and its
Travelife certificate for hotels and other forms of accommodation, ensuring human rights is part of its auditing criteria.
It will continue to support members to manage human rights in their operations and supply chains, such as preventing exploitative working conditions and discrimination - as enshrined in UN guidance and the Modern Slavery Act.
Further support comes from Abta’s partnership with Stronger Together, allowing it to draft the first guidance of its kind for members on practical steps they can take to update their approach to modern slavery and human rights. This will be available later this year.
Abta will also refresh its Every Child Everywhere training on child safeguarding, which will launch on Abta’s online Knowledge Zone in the spring.
Nikki White, Abta’s director of destinations and sustainability, said: “Tackling human rights issues is a complex matter which no one organisation can solve alone. Abta and its members recognise the travel industry does have an important part to play.
“We’re working together to continue to identify where there might be vulnerabilities in the supply chain and actions that the industry can take to address these issues in the long term.”
Antje Monshausen, chair of the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism, added: “We are delighted Abta has signed up to the Roundtable.
“This is a positive and important step towards an international dialogue on human rights in tourism. We’d encourage Abta members to sign up to the Roundtable themselves to further progress their human rights approach and help drive further developments within the industry.”
