Value chain risk analysis

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

Besides the risks related to all child labour, such as not being able to go to school, being forced to carry out tasks that are harmful for their development, and various forms of abuse and harassment, children working as porters in leisure and sports offers such as trekking or mountaineering often face particularly hazardous working conditions. They may be forced to carry heavy loads and take long routes. Like adult porters, children often do not receive adequate equipment for the harsh weather conditions in the outside settings, such as shoes, protection against the cold, medication, etc. 

See also the related risk card on Children’s rights / Tours and excursions.  

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.   

Infrastructure projects or excursion plans for sports and leisure activities on public land are often developed and constructed without prior consultation with the local population. Moreover, infrastructure related to sports and leisure activities often require space for large numbers of visitors. Related waste and sewage are often not correctly disposed of or recycled, and may lead to pollution of the environment and restrict local communities’ access to natural resources. Furthermore, sports activity offers are often conducted by external providers, from abroad or other communities, thereby taking away potential sources of income from the local population.

For mega sporting events such as World Cups or Olympic Games, large pieces of land for infrastructure and sports grounds are needed. In the past, construction projects for mega sporting events have often been accompanied by serious human rights abuses. Community-related risks particularly concern forced evictions of communities, which are often accompanied by police brutality. There have been reports of “slum clearances” or displacements of homeless people in the framework of city beautification projects, often without prior warning or compensation offers (see cases below). Furthermore, a high proportion of income from such events flows to international companies with local communities only profiting at a low-scale.

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.

Accidents

The working conditions of guides or teachers in leisure or sports activities can have a direct impact on the safety and health of customers. High stress levels or long working hours of guides may lead to negligence or bad decisions, which can be particularly harmful in adventure sports or for activities in potentially dangerous areas (mountains, outback, sea, etc.), leading to additional risks for customers. The same goes for low wages, which may lead guides to choose more dangerous tours or routes for an additional payment. Tour operators should make sure that sports and leisure activities are operated by guides who are qualified and well-trained. Furthermore, bad material or maintenance may lead to an increased number of accidents.

See also the risk card on Leisure and Sports / Workers’ rights.

Accessibility

Various organisations stress the significance of sports and recreation for the wellbeing of people with disabilities. However, sports and leisure activities are often not accessible to everyone. Even more than other customers, people with disabilities are dependent on well-trained guides and teachers, who are informed about and sensitive to the specific needs of their customers.

When going trekking or climbing a mountain, guides and porters are crucial for the tour’s success and a customer's safety and comfort. They are however often subject to difficult and hazardous working conditions.

In many destinations, porters are subcontracted to a local tour operator. Porters and guides often receive very low salaries and have to work long hours without an adequate number of rest days. Porters also may not receive the necessary equipment (shoes, protection against cold, medication), making their work even more dangerous. As jobs are rare in many destination countries, many people have no other choice than to carry out this strenuous and hazardous work. Due to the seasonal and sometimes difficult to predict nature of tourism, many porters and guides are in casual employments without job security. To earn additional income, some guides or porters are willing to carry even more baggage or take dangerous routes at the request of tourists, putting themselves (and their customers) in danger.

Porters are reliant on their health and physical strength to carry out their job. Even though it is in the nature of their job to be exposed to major strains and risks, porters are often not sufficiently (if at all) covered by social and health insurance. Also, their relatives may only receive inadequate compensation in the case of injury or death. As many porters and guides support an extended family, the loss of income has wide consequences