Abta urges travel to support campaign against orphanage tourism

With a growing global movement to eliminate the institutional care of children, the team will be raising awareness of the campaign on Anti-Slavery Day (18 October 2022).

Abta said orphanage tourism is when "often well-meaning people" volunteer in or visit an orphanage whilst abroad, through activities such as day trips, gap year volunteering and study abroad programmes, not knowing these institutions are causing harm to children.

Abta is encouraging members to support the campaign through social media on Anti-Slavery Day, and by sharing messages with customers who are travelling to those destinations.

Part of the campaign will see specialist Border Force Officers at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports speaking to holidaymakers heading to destinations where orphanage tourism is in operation and advising travellers that many orphanages are money-making businesses that exploit children to make money from tourists. 

An estimated 5.4 million children live in orphanages worldwide, yet 80% of them are not orphans; most are separated from their families because of poverty, disability or discrimination.