Rethinking travel and tourism: Placing child protection at the core of sustainable travel and tourism

The travel and tourism sectors are vital in supporting the livelihood and development of communities and countries worldwide. Promoting responsible, accessible, and sustainable tourism is also essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda. However, many child protection challenges emerge in the context of travel and tourism, whether due to offenders moving within or between States or as an unintended result of the activities and operations of the sector itself.

It is time to rethink how travel and tourism are conducted and create a sustainable industry. Discussions on sustainability in the sector have rightly incorporated environmental, economic, and social dimensions. However, freedom from violence against children is also fundamental for sustainability. It is impossible to achieve genuinely sustainable growth – including within travel and tourism – and realize the promise of the 2030 Agenda while this violence and its drivers persist.

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