The commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (CSEC) is a crime that is increasing worldwide and it is of great concern because it deals with a type of sexual abuse that violates the rights of children and adolescents. This study aims to identify the knowledge that higher education students in tourism-related programs have about CSEC associated with travel and tourism. For this reason, the Tourism Business Administration Program of the University of Medellin, in agreement with the UNODC, designed and conducted a survey that showed the lack of knowledge and confusion about some aspects of this crime, as well as how to prevent and report it. As a conclusion, the curriculum of undergraduate programs in tourism should be intervened to reinforce knowledge related to the definition of CSEC, the identification of its modalities and the role of the tourism industry in the supply and demand in this type of exploitation. © 2019 International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA).