Host-children of tourism destinations: systematic quantitative literature review

Abstract

Although it is estimated that 19 million children are engaged in the tourism industry, our knowledge of child labour issues within tourism is highly limited. This paper systematically and quantitatively reviewed interdisciplinary research on host-children, aiming to identify the extent of scholarly attention. The work sought to map the trajectory of existing literature and identify whether, and if so, how host-children were included in research. The review revealed that within the limited host-children studies, child sex workers have received the most attention whereas issues relating to other child labourers have been neglected. Additionally, this review identified that the subjective dimensions of tourism impacts on host-children have been overlooked and limited studies have actually reflected children's voice in the research. Based on these findings, the directions for future research on host-children are recommended.