How can the tourism industry reduce and avoid the negative impacts surrounding the issues of child protection? How can the protection of children be integrated into a sustainable and workable strategy? How can this strategy be valuable for businesses and travellers? With over 10 years’ experience in safeguarding children and youth from all forms of abuse, the ChildSafe Movement, a global protection initiative powered by Friends-International, has developed numerous tools to raise awareness and provide solutions to child protection amongst key tourism industry stakeholders as well as within all tiers of society and the international community.
2. ChildSafe Movement
Children benefitted from ChildSafe
direct emergency life-saving
interventions
Children benefitted from actions
through our program activities
In 2015:
Powered by Friends-International
9,000
100,000
3. Tourism key figures
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 2016
… and are projected to hit 1.8 billion by 2030
from 25 million in 1950
to 1186 million in 2015
In 2015, international tourism generated $ 1.5 trillion in export earnings
International tourist arrivals have increased…
4. The impact
An ever-growing industry…
What’s the impact on children and
local communities?
A POSITIVE impact and many other benefits
• Greater opportunities for small-scale business enterprises
• Increased employment and development opportunities for families resulting in
better livelihoods for children
• More income leads to improved infrastructure including roads, schools, play
parks for children, medical services
BUT it also increases the exploitation of the most vulnerable groups…
5. The impact
Negative impacts, among others…
• Unsafe migration of poor families
• Child labor
• Commercial and Sexual Exploitation of children
• Children living, begging or working on the streets become more vulnerable to
all abuses
• Children becoming accessible to strangers and potential abusers, orphanage
tourism, voluntourism, slum and school visits, homestays.
The consequences of child abuse can also
impact the tourism industry
• Rejection of tourism by local communities
• Negative reporting in the media
• Businesses, jobs lost
• Negative traveler perceptions
15. Non-Governmental Organizations
A partnership of 46 organizations, working in 12 countries
• 6,498,699 services provided
• 21,884 children were supported for their education
• 2,278 children reintegrated to families
In 2015:
16. ChildSafe Business
A GLOBAL SOLUTION FOR LEADERSHIP IN CHILD PROTECTION
Supporting Business Certified Business
19. Child protection integration
Tourism is not the cause of child exploitation but can increase it
The industry can play a growing and significantly impacting role
• Integrating child protection
• In the implementation of tourism strategies
• In the core regulation of business activities
• Ensuring products and services are child-friendly and protective
• Respecting the Rights of Children
21. Respecting the Rights of Children
Push for the same among subsidiaries and sub-contractors
In your
communication
In your
activities
• Avoiding activities harmful to children
• Supporting initiatives based on the best
interest of the child
• Increasing collaboration between the
private and public sectors
• Raising awareness among all
stakeholders
23. YES!
Your action has a real and positive impact upon children
Your business is seen as a leader in the responsible
protection of children in your sector
And most importantly of all…
Their lives, their happiness and their future prospects are all enhanced when the
interaction they have with the tourism industry is a ChildSafe one.
It is good for the children.
http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284418145
(…)
Tourism is a major category of international trade in services. In addition to receipts earned in destinations, international tourism also generatedUS$ 211 billion in exports through international passenger transport services rendered to non-residents in 2015, bringing the total value of tourism exports up to US$ 1.5 trillion, or US$ 4 billion a day on average. (…)