Value chain risk analysis

Volunteering

Children's rights

Projects that include working with children are very popular among volunteers. However, volunteering, and “voluntourism” in particular, holds many risks for children.

Leisure & sport

Children's rights

Children working for leisure and sports activities as helpers or porters may face particularly dangerous working conditions.

Tours & excursions

Children's rights

Risks for children related to tours and excursions are twofold: children may either be viewed as a tourist attraction, e.g. when tourists visit schools or orphanages, or they may themselves work in excursions as guides or helpers.

Shopping

Children's rights

In many countries, children are forced to work in souvenir production, in factories, doing craftwork, diving for shells and pearls, or mining precious stones. Children are also often employed as souvenir sellers.

Leisure & sport

Community impact

Sports activities providers and customers directly compete with local communities for land, water and air space. Large-scale sports infrastructure projects often violate the human rights of neighbouring communities.  

Tours & excursions

Community impact

Touristic tours and excursions can have negative impacts on the land, privacy and cultural rights of visited communities.

Leisure & sport

Customer rights

The main risks for customers when participating in sports or leisure activities are related to accidents. Sports activities are often not accessible for customers with disabilities.

Leisure & sport

Women's rights

In the category of leisure and sport, there are several challenges and risks for female workers. While a large proportion of positions in adventure and sports tourism is still mainly male dominated, discrimination of women is common. 

Shopping

Women's rights

Female street vendors suffer from personal insecurity and harsh working conditions impairing their health and wellbeing. Moreover, the direct relationship between being a women and working in the informal sector results in economic shortcomings, vulnerability and further challenges - not only for female workers but also for their children accompanying them. 

Tours & excursions

Women's rights

In the category of tours and excursions, there are several challenges and risks for female workers. While a large proportion of positions in tours and excursions are still mainly male dominated, discrimination of women is common. 

Leisure & sport

Workers' rights

Guides and porters are crucial for the success of a tour and customer safety. They are often subject to difficult working conditions.

Shopping

Workers' rights

For many tourists, shopping for souvenirs is an important part of the travel experience. Tour operators and tourists often do not take bad working conditions in the production and sale of souvenirs into account.

Volunteering

Community impact

Volunteers’ demands are often given more weight than the needs of the communities they are intending to support. Voluntourism projects have a high potential to have a negative impact on local communities.

Shopping

Community impact

In many tourist destinations, cheap, factory-made imitation products are imported, leading to a loss of traditional craftmanship and lower incomes for artisans and local souvenir vendors. 

Tours & excursions

Customer rights

Often tours and excursions are difficult to access for people with disabilities, as they may not receive sufficient assistance or information.

Tours & excursions

Workers' rights

Local guides and drivers contracted for tours and excursion offers often have bad working conditions.