Paper Type |
: |
Research Paper |
Title |
: |
Child labour – An Ugly Face of Travel and Hospitality Industry |
Country |
: |
India |
Authors |
: |
Dr. Anupama Sharma, Ms. Sumita Kukreja, Dr.Anjana Sharma |
 |
: |
10.9790/487X-0410817  |
Abstract:Tourism industry is one of the world's fastest growing economic sector and largest employer of
manpower helps in earning multi-billion dollar annually by attracting a billion of people from one destination
to another. But it has a story too. Recent researches reveal that it has various social, economical, cultural, and
environmental impacts on society. According to the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Global Report
2006, Tourism affects the lives of 218 million children. India has the distinction of the largest number of
working children in the world today. According to Indian official statistics about 13 million children are
engaged in tourism industry but unofficial estimates vary between 60-100 million. Throughout India there have
been numerous studies which have shown the existence of child exploitation due to tourism. In the year 2006 the
tourism and hospitality sector was added to the list of hazardous occupation under the Child Labour Act 1986.
As the benefits from tourism industry is increasing day by day and attracting millions of foreign investment, the
risk of child labour is increasing exponentially and along with greater demand for human trafficking. Various
child labour laws have been enacted to protect the most vulnerable workers from unsafe and unhealthy work
environment and to prevent minor children from being forced to work in ways that are considered detrimental
to them. The main objective of this paper is to find out the reason why children work in tourism industry, to
know the risk involved if they work with tourism sector, and to know the role of government and tourism
industry in eradication of this serious problem. This paper also helps in measuring the effectiveness of labour
laws and actions taken by the International Labour Organization, World Tourism Organization to mitigate this
problem..To evaluate the actual situation of child labour in tourism industry ,in this paper information has
been gathered through secondary sources like books, magazines (yojna) ,WTO report, report of Tourism
Ministry, News paper etc. For this purpose two research questions were prepared (a) increasing economic
benefit of tourism industry is attracting as well as exploiting the future of India. (b) Child Labour laws made to
eradicate the problem of child labour has reduced the number of child labourers in papers only not in actual.
After analyzing the facts and figures it can be conclude that the problem of child labour and commercial sexual
exploitation of children can't be solved easily unless collective efforts have been made by Government officials,
NGO's, Civil Society workers and Tourism Industry employers to eradicate it. Policies and legislations should
not only formulate but implemented in right spirit. Government and all other institutions must join their hands
together to stop all forms of exploitation of children otherwise we will fail to secure the rights of our children
who are the future of our India.
Key Words:- Tourism, Child-Labour, Labour Law , Hospitality, Sexual –Abuse, Exploitation, Human
Trafficking
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[2] Tourism and Labour:Opening vistas and Emerging Challenges,Equations, December 2008.
[3] "Talk For Change For Making Tourism Sustainable,Equitable And Just",Regional Consultation On Responsible Tourism In The
North Eastern States Of India,Dated:26-27 August 2010,Gangtok Sikkim,Organized by: Impulse NGO Network & Equations.
[4] United States Department Of Labor,2007 Findings on the Worst Forms Of Child Labor -India,27August2008,available at:
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[5] Susan Bliss,NSW Manager Global Education,Lecturer-University of Sydeny and Macquarie University,President- Geography
Teachers‟Association of New South Wales,Director- Australian Geography Teachers‟Association ,"Child Labour In Tourism
Industry:Social Justice and Human Rights".
[6] World Tourism Organisation (WTO)http://www.world-tourism.org/market_research/facts/market_trends.htm
[7] Prof. Nina Rao‟s: Child Labour in the services in India: The Case of Tourism,( Revised version of the paper presented at the
Seminar Enslaved Innocence, Child Labour in India, Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Milia Islamia,14 March,2008.
[8] Notification banning child labour in Domestic and Hospitality Sector effective from 10 October,2006.
[9] BBC news online,Thursday,22 June,2000,10:13 GMT 11:13 UK- Tourism Industry is the largest employer of children by Sushil
Sharma in Kathmandu.
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Bequele and J. Boyden.Geneva: ILO.