Reimagining children’s participation: a child rights informed approach to social justice in tourism

Abstract

Children's historical marginalisation largely grounded in deeply entrenched assumptions about their status as citizens, including the legitimacy of their views on matters central to their wellbeing, is now well argued. As a result, they have often been gate-kept out of research, policy, and practice spheres, including those related to tourism. This limits their potential to address the injustices they often experience, many of which are amplified during global crises. Through a critical discussion of two examples of such injustice for children in tourism-related contexts, child labour and orphanage tourism, we suggest that prevalent “protectionist” stances that circumscribe children's human rights issues in tourism, reflect broader societal and systemic adult-centric views. We propose the need for a child rights informed approach to participation in tourism research, policy and practice that better recognises the contradictions and complexities of childhood experiences in different social and cultural milieus. This offers a starting point for progressing more socially just responses in supply side tourism contexts that are less “adultist” and more “childist” in orientation.