New Study Findings on Child Rights in Tourism to be Shared at Workshops in Sri Lanka

Photo: The Centre’s Sri Lanka Country Director Ahila Thillainathan presents key findings from the study at a validation workshop held in Colombo in February, 2024. Key stakeholders involved in the accommodation supply chain and businesses operating in the tourism sector were in attendance.

Child sex trafficking is a major concern in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, along with child labour, child safety and other child rights issues. Following a study by Save the Children on “Child Sex Trafficking in the Tourism Sector in Sri Lanka” in 2020, The Centre for Child Rights and Business and Save the Children in Sri Lanka have initiated a new joint assessment to shed light on the latest child rights risks in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector following the pandemic.

This new study primarily focuses on the accommodation sector (i.e. hotels) in the tourism value chain, to understand the following:

1. What and how does the tourism industry impact child rights in the accommodation supply chain?

2. What are the root causes of child labour in this supply chain and how can they be addressed?

3. What are the potential entry points that can enable engagement with the tourism sector for children, youth, parents and other workers?

Key data from the study is being shared via a series of workshops, the first of which took place in February in Colombo, and brought together key stakeholders in the tourism industry. In April, we will launch a series of district-specific workshops in Jaffna and Anuradhapura to disseminate the findings and recommendations.

If you would like to get involved in these workshops or learn more, please contact us.