INTRODUCTION

The Organization for Responsible Tourism (ORT) issues this appeal to cruise lines bringing passengers to Belize, a superhighway for human trafficking. We are asking for your help in stopping human trafficking in Belize. In particular, we appeal to Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines, which bring a combined 700, 000 tourists to Belize annually.

Cruise lines have a moral responsibility to help stop human trafficking in Belize. Each year thousands of human trafficking victims are transited through Belize via its porous and corrupt borders. Many are exported to other countries and never seen again by their families. Many endure lives of forced prostitution in Belize ficha bars.

This appeals brings forward, for your consideration, a number of measures cruise line companies can take to address Belize human trafficking.

HOW CRUISE LINES CAN HELP STOP BELIZE HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ORT has extended an invitation to cruise lines to join us in persuading Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow to take action against human trafficking in his country. The invitation remains open.

We also recommend that cruise lines bringing tourists to Belize consider the following specific measures:

Self policing – ensure cruise ship staff are aware of areas where human trafficking victims are concentrated; ensure that they do not direct passengers to resorts areas or specific bars where human trafficking victims are forced into prostitution; ensure they do not act as conduits for sex tourism, connecting individual passengers and human trafficking victims

Educating passengers – provide information to passengers about areas with high concentrations of human trafficking victims; advise passengers to avoid known towns and resorts with a high representation of human trafficking bars.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye - remove San Pedro, Ambergris Caye from all cruise line itineraries; advise passengers not to visit San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, a hub for human trafficking

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is heavily populated with ficha bars specializing in exploiting women victims of human trafficking. The Town of San Pedro, population 12, 000, counts 90 human trafficking bars featuring forced prostitution of human trafficking victims

APPEAL

In submitting this appeal to Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line, I am urging them to help Organization for Responsible Tourism stop human trafficking in Belize

Specifically, I am endorsing the above-noted anti-trafficking measures regarding: self-policing of cruise lines; making passengers aware of and encouraging them to avoid Belize human trafficking centers; and removing San Pedro, Ambergris Caye from cruise line itineraries.