New Initiative Launched on World Tourism Day to Tackle Child Rights Risks in the Tourism Sector for Businesses

According to a recent assessment, on child rights risks in Sri Lanka’s tourism by The Centre for Child Rights and Business (The Centre) in partnership with Save the Children, children in the tourism supply chain are at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, child labour and disruptions to their education. These risks are primarily driven by inadequate regulations for supplementary accommodations, particularly in guesthouses and homestays, the absence of child safeguarding protocols among tourism service providers, and the lack of formal young worker programmes connecting youth to decent work opportunities.

To help tourism businesses address these challenges, The Centre officially launched the Mother and Child-Friendly Seal for Responsible Business in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector on World Tourism Day (Sep 27) in Colombo. This expansion follows the Seal's successful implementation in the tea industry. The launch comes as Sri Lanka is poised to welcome over 3 million tourist arrivals by 2025, making it a key time for the tourism industry to align with human rights due diligence. Read more about the launch event here.

The Seal aims to create long-term positive change by breaking away from traditional audit-based approaches that the private sector and state bodies adopt and instead offering a dynamic action-based framework rooted in ongoing commitment and continuous improvement. Businesses are evaluated against their own baselines and must actively work towards enhancing their mother- and child-friendly practices. After taking a pledge, each company creates an action plan to strengthen initiatives for women and children in the communities they touch. The Seal’s foundation is built on human rights, transparency, gender equity, and participation.

The initiative also creates opportunities for public-private partnerships and will strengthen the capacity of tourism businesses to build a family-friendly supply chain where women and children’s rights are safeguarded.

The Mother and Child-Friendly Seal for Responsible Business in the tourism sector holds immense potential to drive positive change and transform lives for the better. To truly unlock its impact, it is crucial to secure the full support and commitment of the industry and key stakeholders who are ready to be change-makers. Together, we can build a future where businesses within the tourism space thrive as champions of women's and children's wellbeing,” said Ines Kaempfer, CEO of The Centre for Child Rights and Business.

Tourism businesses, including hotels, guesthouses, homestays, as well as travel agencies and international tour operators, can participate in this initiative. The Seal consists of four performance-based levels: Explorer, Pathfinder, Trailblazer, and Changemaker, with the highest level awarded to companies that demonstrate significant progress through self-assessment and a journey of improvement. Earning the Seal signifies a company's strong commitment to human rights, helps meet human rights due diligence requirements, and elevates the company’s reputation as an ethical leader in the tourism industry. Most importantly, the Seal initiative is designed to drive real, lasting change for women, children, and families linked to the tourism sector.

For more information about the Mother and Child-Friendly Seal for Responsible Business, visit srilanka-motherandchildseal.org or contact info.SL@childrights-business.org.