Tourism sector

The protection of human rights in the tourism sector is guaranteed by various generally applicable international frameworks, such as the core UN international human rights instruments and the ILO Conventions.

The human rights risks of tourism include, among others:

• abuses of labour rights and poor working conditions, including a lack of written contracts, long working hours and excessive overtime, low wages, right to form and join trade associations, lack of protective gear, which can take the form of modern slavery and exploitation;
• high prevalence of human trafficking, including commercial sexual exploitation and labour exploitation;
• subjecting marginalised groups, such as women, children, and migrant workers;
• persons with disabilities or indigenous peoples, to discriminatory practices by companies or tourists;
• negative impacts on land rights;
• negative impacts on the culture of communities and heritage sites;
• negative impacts on the environment and climate change (See the Issue page on Workers’ rights for more information).

Workers in tourism are employed in formal and informal sectors, which prepare the infrastructure and provide services for tourists. The occupational health and safety (OHS) of these workers is a global concern. OHS violations often lead to work-related injuries and fatalities in the tourism infrastructure construction, to which the migrant workers in the informal sector are the most vulnerable. For instance, the case of casino construction on the American island of Saipan involved allegations of safety violations and, consequently, injuries and fatalities of the workers from China, often employed illegally. The Report on Migrant Workers’ Rights in Qatar & UAE Construction, published in 2019, details the OHS concerns related to the construction of the infrastructure related to mega events, such as Expo 2020 in Dubai and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the specific emphasis on migrant workers (See the Issue page on Migrant Workers for more information).

Another dimension of OHS issues in tourism has emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. The pandemic, apart from its negative impact on employment in the tourism sector, has also put workers at a heightened risk of infection. These risks are more pressing in countries that are highly dependent on tourism revenue, such as Turkey. Low wages for workers are a prevalent labour issue in the tourism sector. A Florida State University Report in 2019 found that workers employed in tourism were paid the lowest wages of any industry in the US. For many tourist destinations that work 24/7, extremely long hours of work, especially during busy seasons, can be a tremendous challenge for workers. Additionally, workers often face problems protecting their labour rights due to the irregularity of their employment and the lack of trade unions. (See the Issue page on Freedom of Association for more information).

Fuelled by a high incidence of informality in the sector, there is a high risk of modern slavery and child labour. A significant number of forced labour cases involve migrant workers in the hospitality industry across the globe – in Qatar or the US, or in the construction of the infrastructure for major entertainment events, such as the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The ILO has estimated that there are between 13-19 million children working in an occupation tied to tourism, which represents some 10-15% of the tourism workforce. Child labour is often used in hospitality or entertainment, such as hotel personnel, or guides for tourists, as well as in the vast supply chain for the tourism industry, such as in the production of souvenirs, for example. In 2022, the IOM and World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance published a guidance “Establishing Ethical Recruitment Practices in the Hospitality Industry” (See the Issue pages on Children’s rights and Forced labour & modern slavery for more information).

Sexual exploitation of women and children is also a prevalent issue in the tourism sector. ILO’s 2022 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery indicates that of 50 million people living in modern slavery, an estimated 6.3 million are in situations of forced commercial sexual exploitation, where nearly four out of every five people trapped in these situations are girls or women.

ECPAT International’s 2016 Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism found a direct link between the growth of and advancements in travel and tourism, with specific risks for children, and identified significant legislative and policy gaps globally that cause the protection of children to lag behind the industry. The U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2020 report also identified the trends that hinder the protection of children from sexual exploitation in tourism, such as the so-called “voluntourism,” “orphanage tourism”, online platforms and electronic payments. UNICEF’s 2017 Report on children and the hotel industry in Mexico also underlined child labour and sexual exploitation, along with issues with decent work for parents and caregivers and the pressure of tourism on basic services in local communities, as pressing for children’s human rights in Mexico.

Beyond exploitative labour practices, there have also been discriminatory impacts of tourism on workers and other stakeholders. The 2019 edition of the UNWTO’s Global Report on Women in Tourism found that while women make up the majority of the tourism workforce worldwide, they remain concentrated in low-level employment and there are additional barriers for entrepreneur women as well. Discrimination against persons with disabilities also remains a challenge in the sector. The European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) produced a Code of Good Conduct in 2013, an international labelling scheme for promoting ethical business standards in Accessible Tourism for All. This code grants a commitment label to tourism businesses and organisations, recognising their efforts to promote accessible travel and tourism. In 2024, UNWTO and several other stakeholders published a new guidance, “How to apply ISO Standard 21902: Accessible tourism for all – Recommendations for tour operators, travel agencies and travel agents”. This followed a 2023 guidance for accommodation, food and beverage, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) companies, both offering strategic and actionable recommendations for providing accessible tourism experiences.

The land rights of indigenous peoples and other community members are also under threat in the face of a booming tourism industry, which requires the expansion of existing public infrastructure and attracts business attention to accommodate the increased number of tourists. A 2019 study titled Tourism, Land Grabs and Displacement builds on 25 case studies of tourism-related land grabs and displacements and concludes that “land grabbing, dispossession and involuntary relocation in holiday destinations in the Global South are pervasive and often systemic phenomena, involving complex alliances of government and corporate actors.” The study emphasises the often-enabling role of governments in the violation of land rights and distinguishes the rights of indigenous and forest-dependent peoples, and recognises mega sporting and entertainment events as the issues that are particularly important in this context. Apart from relocation and disruption of their natural environment, indigenous people are often a tourist attraction themselves: millions of tourists visit indigenous communities all over the globe every year for tourist purposes. Tourist activities can have a clear negative impact on indigenous communities by disrupting their way of life and social environment. In particular, pollution, disregard of rules and exposure to unnatural sources of noise and heat caused by increased visitor numbers have caused damage to the world heritage sites, such as Machu Picchu in Peru.

Tourism also has various negative environmental impacts, especially in economically underdeveloped countries, which rely on the revenue from tourism and subsequent foreign investments. International travel and other dimensions of tourism contribute towards climate change, which itself then impacts the local communities and their human rights. According to a 2019 Report, transport-related emissions from tourism are expected to account for 5.3% of all man-made CO2 emissions by 2030. However, the loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources such as water are also significant negative impacts of tourism on the environment. Considering the environmental impacts of the tourism sector, conducting or strengthening environmental impact assessments (EIA) has been proposed for tourism-related projects. For example, to improve existing EIA frameworks in respective States, the 2011 EIA Technical Review Guidelines for Tourism‐Related Projects were developed by experts from CAFTA-DR countries (See the Issue page on Environment & Climate Change for more information).  The role of the tourism sector and tourism companies have been criticised for profiting from operating in conflict and post-conflict zones. Amnesty International’s Report Destination: Occupation details how digital travel companies such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdvisor contribute to the maintenance, development and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Another report points to how tourism is used to “gloss over” the harsh reality in Kashmir. Torn and fragile post-conflict societies are also vulnerable to the effects of tourism. A 2015 Report calls for advanced human rights due diligence for companies operating in such circumstances, referring to the situation of Sri Lanka as a case study. In 2023, the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism published “Responsible Tourism in Oppressive Regimes – A Guide for Tour Operators to Put People First” to help tour operators on how to offer responsible tourism in politically challenging countries.

Several States have addressed the human rights risks of tourism in their National Action Plans (NAPs). For instance, Poland’s NAP provides for regulatory amendments to address sexual exploitation of minors in the hospitality industry. Spain’s NAP aims to promote self-regulation codes in line with various frameworks that provide for responsible tourism. Germany’s NAP plans to increase financial support for the initiative the Roundtable on Human Rights in Tourism.

The UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is a voluntary set of 10 principles addressed to various actors within the tourism industry and aims to ensure that benefits are maximised without adverse environmental, cultural or social impacts. Stakeholders can refer to the World Committee on Tourism Ethics with questions regarding the scope and interpretation of the Code.

Notable initiatives and studies for implementing human rights in the travel and tourism sector have been implemented by various actors. Some examples include:

• The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has developed Performance Indicators for hotels and tour operators that aspire to guide the respective industries to contribute to sustainable tourism.
• A Practitioner’s Guide for Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) in Tourism, designed to aid practitioners in conducting HRIAs in different sectors within the industry, such as a tourism destination with beach hotels and excursions.
• The Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism, has produced several operational guidelines and tools for the actors and contexts in the tourism industry. In 2019, it published a Human Rights Impact Assessment Report for the tourism industry in Thailand and Myanmar, underlining the main contextual human rights impacts, including labour rights, economic inclusion, environmental impacts, children’s rights, etc.
• In 2023 and 2025, the UNWTO published the Compendium of Good Practices in Indigenous Tourism, with regional focuses on the Americas and on Asia and the Pacific, to provide case studies of good practices for enhancing tourism experiences and advancing Indigenous rights through informed and respectful engagement.
• In 2022, the Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Environmental Policy published Applying Principles of Circular Economy to Sustainable Tourism, addressing the negative impacts of the tourism industry on ecological limits. The report highlights the sector’s increasing energy demand, high levels of waste generation, as well as rising global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

• The Myanmar Tourism Sector Wide Impact Assessment carried out by the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) in partnership with its co-founders, the Danish Institute of Human Rights and the Institute of Human Rights and Business, is intended to identify and document the potential and actual adverse impacts of the tourism industry in Myanmar and support responsible business practices in the growing sector of tourism in Myanmar.
• Other important studies include: Impact Assessment of Tourism on Communities and Children in Zanzibar (2018), which has been conducted by UNICEF Tanzania in collaboration with Zanzibar’s State institutions.

In 2025, the UNWTO has published “Guiding Principles for Sustainable Investment in Tourism”, in recognition of the Paris Agreement goals, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and core human rights and labour conventions. The Principle 5 requires that “investment policies should strive to ensure that investors in the tourism sector comply with relevant environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks and considerations, best international practices of corporate social responsibility, good corporate governance and their obligation to respect human rights and core labour standards”. The guidance further suggests investment policies to ensure that the sociocultural effects of tourism projects are systematically evaluated, for example, by requiring human rights impact assessments before approving new investment or the expansion of existing investment in tourism.

The tourism industry has a high potential to stimulate economic growth and social change and contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism has been integrated into several Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets: Target 8.9 calls for the development and implementation, by 2030, of policies that promote sustainable tourism which creates jobs and supports local culture and products; Target 12.b focuses on developing and applying tools to monitor the sustainable development impacts of tourism; and Target 14.7 aims to increase the economic benefits of Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, Member States recognise “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole”, and “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”. The UNWTO, in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) developed a set of project-based tourism indicators to assess the impact of tourism projects on the achievement of the SDGs. This project aims to address the crucial role that tourism plays in advancing the SDGs and the need for a standardised approach to measure the impact of tourism projects on the SDGs (See the Issue page on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for more information).