Watching how technology helps travelers connect across borders and explore new cultures has given me a close view of how travel brings people together and creates opportunities for cultural exchange, learning, and growth. However, as a Colombian, it has also made me reflect deeply on the responsibility that comes with being part of an industry that moves millions of people across borders every year.
Colombia is welcoming more visitors than ever, and cities like Medellín and Cartagena have become global destinations, attracting travelers who want to experience our culture, our landscapes, and our communities. Most arrive with good intentions, but this tourism expansion has also intensified a darker reality that demands far more attention: the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (ESCNNA).
When people hear about this issue, the immediate reaction is emotional, which is completely understandable. But concern and awareness alone are no longer enough: to fight a crime this complex, we must first determine its true magnitude, and we can only do that through accurate data.
According to Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), between 2015 and 2025 more than 22,697 children entered Colombia’s judicial system as victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Of these identified victims, 81.8% are girls, and 40.9% are between the ages of 14 and 17, revealing the heartbreaking truth that many cases are detected only after years of prolonged and silent abuse.
The digital era has accelerated this risk, as UNICEF states that around 860,000 children experienced digital sexual exploitation or abuse in the last year, and 30% of victims met the perpetrator online. Therefore, if we truly want to protect them and reduce risks, we need to move beyond assumptions towards real actionable data. Because when children’s lives are at stake, we cannot afford to guess.
These numbers prove that ESCNNA is a systemic crisis and to combat it we require highly specialized organizations capable of turning raw data into strategic defense systems. Initiatives like the ESCNNA Observatory, developed by Valientes Colombia, become critical: by conducting fieldwork, community engagement, and localized research, they map out exactly where and how these crimes happen, turning isolated, hidden cases into a clear and actionable picture of reality.
It is precisely where data, technology, and protection meet, where companies must step up: social responsibility goes far beyond corporate philanthropy and demands us to leverage our core capabilities to safeguard the communities we operate in. While data allows us to understand the problem and decide how to act, organizations on the frontline also need reliable tools to execute that response on the ground.
Working at Holafly, I know that tech-facilitated abuse requires tech-driven solutions where staying connected acts as a lifeline. During critical rescue operations, real-time secure communication can make the difference between a successful intervention and a missed opportunity.
For survivors, access to a reliable connection is vital to reaching support networks, receiving remote psychological care, and accessing educational tools that break the cycle of vulnerability and prevent re-recruitment. But to provide the right resources, we must stop guessing and start measuring, as it is only by tracking the data, empowering organizations like Valientes, and utilizing our corporate resources that we can move from reactive concern to systemic protection.
Ultimately, true prevention also relies on collective vigilance, so I encourage everyone, whether you work in the tourism industry, travel frequently, or simply care about the wellbeing of children, to stay informed and remain alert to situations that put young people at risk. Reporting suspicious activity through the appropriate channels, such as the Te Protejo App, reaching out to Valientes Colombia, or dialing the official protection line 141, is a concrete way we can all help create safer environments.
By combining accurate data with collective action, our goal becomes clear and achievable: to build spaces where children are free and safe, and where tourism serves as a shield and never a threat for our youth. Because the first step to protecting every child is making sure no child remains invisible, and we simply can’t protect what we don’t measure.
