Shadows of voluntourism and the connection to orphanage business in Asia and Cambodia
Tuovinen, Hanna (2014)
Tuovinen, Hanna
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2014
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201404285141
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201404285141
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis is to increase consciousness and raise awareness of the dark side of voluntourism, as most people are solely aware of the benefits of volunteering and have very little knowledge of the negative aspects of the field. The global recom-mendation is to not approve of volunteering in an orphanage because of the evidence that many orphanages are a profit-making business and do not work in the best interest of the child. For instance over 70 % of the children in orphanages in Cambodia have at least one living parent. Voluntourism is a billion-dollar industry, with 1.6 million travelers donating money every year to both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Several organizations around the world work with the goal to support children. The most known organizations are ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking), the Code, Friends International and UNICEF. Each of the organizations work for the benefit of the children.
The main topics in this thesis are voluntourism, sex tourism, child sex tourism and human rights. Volunteering and tourism together is called voluntourism. Voluntourism is a combination of leisure and travel and an increasingly growing form of tourism. Several studies about its benefits has been conducted but in general people are not aware of the dark side of voluntourism and its linkage to orphanage business. This thesis concentrates on voluntourism and the orphanage business in Asia and Cambodia. Previous studies show that there is a connection between increasing tourism and increasing orphan business is several countries, also in Cambodia. In general, background checks are not done which has led to increasing paedophilia, much due to the open-door policy that many orphanages practice and which welcomes everyone and anyone into the orphanages. Previous research shows that the orphans in Cambodia have increased by 70% in just a couple of years. The orphanage business has led to both unnecessary family separations, as well as exploitation of children.
The main topics in this thesis are voluntourism, sex tourism, child sex tourism and human rights. Volunteering and tourism together is called voluntourism. Voluntourism is a combination of leisure and travel and an increasingly growing form of tourism. Several studies about its benefits has been conducted but in general people are not aware of the dark side of voluntourism and its linkage to orphanage business. This thesis concentrates on voluntourism and the orphanage business in Asia and Cambodia. Previous studies show that there is a connection between increasing tourism and increasing orphan business is several countries, also in Cambodia. In general, background checks are not done which has led to increasing paedophilia, much due to the open-door policy that many orphanages practice and which welcomes everyone and anyone into the orphanages. Previous research shows that the orphans in Cambodia have increased by 70% in just a couple of years. The orphanage business has led to both unnecessary family separations, as well as exploitation of children.