G Adventures publishes child welfare guidelines

By ABTA Magazine staff

Small group tour operator G Adventures has published a set of guidelines to help travel companies ensure the welfare of children affected by the tourism industry.

The guidelines were produced with ChildSafe, part of the charity Friends International, and include insights from ABTA and the UN’s Children’s Fund.

Speaking to ABTA Magazine, Jamie Sweeting, G Adventures’ vice president for social enterprise and sustainability explained: “It’s about putting kids first and ensuring that children aren’t tourist attractions. It’s as simple as that.

“We don’t want to stop tourism and travellers leaving behind good – that’s the whole essence of G Adventures. We want to make the world a better place through travel.”

The guidelines include advice on interacting with child beggars, establishing how to put plans in place for reporting child abuse and removing images of children from marketing materials, unless it has been gained with the consent of parents or guardians.

The guidelines also talk about the detrimental effect school visits have on children’s wellbeing.

“You’ve got no business being in a classroom unless you’re qualified person who has been through a background check,” Sweeting said. “Ask yourself: if a bus load of tourists filtered through your child’s classroom and your child sat on a tourists’ knee and read to them, how would you feel?”

The guidelines are available online. Read the full interview with Jamie Sweeting at abtamag.com.” ABTAmag.com