A/HRC/25/48 various socioeconomic levels. The root causes of child prostitution have become worse in recent years. They include early sexualization and the dissemination of sexualized images of children, the effects of the economic crisis as well as violence, gangs and peer pressure. Some studies point to consumerism and the attractiveness of some goods for children as an incentive for transactional sex. Child sex tourism is one critical aspect of child prostitution. Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism7 3. 17. The actual scale of child sex tourism is not known due to the lack of available data. However, during her official visits to tourism destination countries, the Special Rapporteur has been advised by local actors that child sex tourism has been increasing, driven by the overall growth in tourism. 18. While child sex tourism tends to occur more commonly in developing countries, no country or tourism destination is exempt. Destinations are constantly shifting, with offenders favouring countries with weak legislation and controls, where they can act with impunity. 19. Data from the Trafficking in Persons Report 2013 indicate that instances of child sex tourism are reported in 55 countries out of the 188 covered by the report, with offenders originating from 18 countries and travelling to 30 countries (7 are countries of both origin and destination).8 However, the criminal nature of the activity and the negative impact in terms of a country’s image for tourism development mean that the large majority of cases are never reported. 20. The growth in international tourism, with the number of international tourists set to reach 1.8 billion by 2030, according to the World Tourism Organization, shows that it will continue to remain an important challenge in the coming years. 4. Child trafficking 21. Recent estimates indicate that child trafficking is on the rise as a proportion of all human trafficking. Child trafficking includes several forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, involving in many instances practices amounting to the sale of children. 22. The 2012 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicates that detected cases of child trafficking represented 27 per cent of human trafficking in 2007–2010, up from 20 per cent in 2003–2006. In recent years, the increase has been greater for girls. Between 2006 and 2009, the proportion of girls in the number of total victims has grown from 13 to 17 per cent. Two out of every three child victims are girls. Although trends are not homogenous globally, the report finds that more than 20 countries recorded a clear increase in the proportion of child trafficking detected in the period 2007–2010 compared with the period 2003–2006. Significantly, in Africa and the Middle East, over two thirds of the detected victims of trafficking are children. Globally, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation represents 58 per cent of the total number of detected cases.9 7 8 9 6 See also the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on the protection of children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism (A/HRC/22/54). www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/TPP-Review-of-TIP-Report-2013-Final.pdf. www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/Trafficking_in_Persons_2012_web.pdf.