Things we need to be aware of to protect our traveling youth
by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Tourism should be about children, not only children by age, but in a sense the “child” that exists within each of us. Childhood is a time of beautiful naiveté, it is a time of innocence and a time of wonderment within and with a world that is open to exploration. There are whole industries within the world of tourism dedicated to childhood and to children, from, amusement parks to playgrounds from summer camps to places such as the Disney properties around the world, these are carefree centers where the beauty of childhood can be lived in a less stressful and less insecure environment.
Unfortunately there is another side to youth travel. This dark side of youth travel is where children are used as objects of sexual exploitation and where young people often go on study abroad programs that are fail to provide adequate protection and information. Often high schools and universities organize these programs through secondary or subsidiary businesses without checking these businesses’ credentials. It should be noted that as in any industry there are well-established businesses that provide the best safety and security possible and there are other businesses whose products do not mean acceptable standards. To help you become aware of these issues Tourism Tidbits offers the following suggestions and information.
This month Tourism Tidbits examines the inbound (importer) side and next month we will look at the outbound (exporter side) of youth travel safety
-The youth travel market is highly complex. When seeking to understand this market know that it is divided between “exporters” (places from which young people travel) and “importers” (locations to which young people travel). Likewise, the word “youth” has a variety of meanings. Legal rights and responsibilities of and toward young people who are under 18 years of age are different from those who are over the age of majority (usually defined as 18 years or older. Travel by those who are approaching 18 (usually high school age) is very different from those who are pre-high school. Furthermore youth travel tends to be composed of “group travel” such as study abroad programs and individual travel, especially among those who fall into the 18-25 year old category. Thus, the travel provider and travel sender need to understand the complexities of these varied markets and adjust their safety and security programs accordingly.
Youth Travel from the Inbound (Youth Importer) side
Many locations receive a great deal of travel from young people. These youthful customers may be part of study groups, individuals on spring break, religious pilgrimages and simply individuals traveling for rest and relaxation or as part of a graduation present. If your location is seeking the youthful tourist then be aware of the following:
– Locations providing youths with tourism opportunities need to be aware of multiple problems in travel. Young people have a tendency to take greater risks and need closer supervision. That means that inbound locations must assure that youth travel agencies only send young people to places that have been inspected and accredited. Inbound providers need to assure outbound (exporters) that these locations have been inspected for issues of safety and security and that all their personnel are working legally and have been properly trained.
– Inbound youths must be given basic information prior to travel and then again once at the location. Most young people are convinced of their invincibility, thus travel warning are not enough. Information must be provided on a regular basis and in different formats. All young people traveling should have the locale’s emergency number. In many nations this number is 911 but other nations use other three digit emergency numbers. Youths should also have access to their nations consulate services and to a few basic vocabulary terms in the local language such as: “help”, “doctor” and “police”.
– Think through what special needs your locale may have for youth tourism. Importing nations need to be sure that they provide multiple language signage, and that information such as beech safety is accurate and up-to-date. Many nations and locales do not even consider the special needs of this market. For example, if your community has a university or high school that accepts foreign students then you are an inbound tourism provider.
– Have emergency plans ready. Inbound destinations need to provide this section of the travel market with a highly sophisticated risk management plan and personal crisis management plan. Things will happen and many young people do not have the wisdom or maturity to handle a stressful or deadly situation. As the inbound location, it is that location’s responsibility to have an personal crisis emergency
– Think through the relationship between youth tourism and terrorism. In today’s highly violent world, terrorists have already begun to target young people for political purposes. The days when young people can roam freely with nothing more to worry about than a lost knapsack may now becoming to an end.
– Know what others are saying about you. Regularly review other governments; websites to see where travel warnings are being posted.. Most major governments provide safety and security information on a country-by-country basis. For example the US government’s website is: http://www.state.gov/travel/. The Canadian government’s travel website is: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories and the British government’s travel website is: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. It should be noted that these websites are fairly accurate but it is essential that youth travel companies and when appropriate parents obtain additional information.
