Young locals, Madagascar | <i>Chris Buykx</i> Local village girls in Sapa, Vietnam Huilloc School Children during the Huilloc Healthy Cook Stove Project | <i>Donna Lawrence</i> Local Bongolava children fascinated with the camera | <i>Gesine Cheung</i> Smiling faces of Madagascan village kids | <i>Ken Harris</i> Happy faces | <i>Rachel Imber</i> Young children in China | <i>Scott Pinnegar</i> The young children of Huilloc spend the day by their mothers side as she sells her handcrafted weaving products | <i>Mark Tipple</i>

Child Safe Tourism

Be a child safe traveller

Children working and living in tourist areas are especially vulnerable to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. When you travel we encourage you to take the following actions that have been put forward by World Vision in order to help create a safer tourism environment for children.

World Vision - Photo: World Vision

  • If you are concerned about the welfare of any child, tell your tour guide immediately.

  • Instead of giving money directly to children who are begging or selling food or souvenirs, support their families and communities or donate to reputable children’s charities.

  • Treat children like you would in your home country. Before taking photos of children, always ask for their permission.

  • Never take a child anywhere without the supervision and permission of their parents or guardian.

  • Before visiting or volunteering with vulnerable children, research the organisation to ensure they have standards and procedures that protect children’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Please do not support ‘orphanage tourism’.

  • Spread the word about child safe tourism. Share this information with your friends and family while you travel and when you return home.

View World Vision’s ‘Be A Child Safe Traveller’ and visit www.childsafetourism.org for more information on how you can protect vulnerable children.

Our Child Protection Code of Conduct, modelled on World Vision’s ‘Child Protection and Trafficking Best Practice’ protocol, is in place for itineraries, on which adult travellers are volunteering building or repairing at or near schools for more than 24 hours.  

World Vision | <i>World Vision</i> The kind nature of the Cambodian people make for a delightful experience | <i>Hans Kuoni</i> ReThink Orphanges Happy Nepalese children relaxing in the streets | <i>Charles Duncombe</i>

Rethink Orphanages

We're adding our weight to the fight against orphanage tourism

World Expeditions is on the working party of the Rethink Orphanages Network, an organization working to prevent the unnecessary institutionalisation of children in developing countries. 

Back in 2013, we removed all instances of orphanage tourism from our trips when research first revealed a direct relationship between the increase in the number of orphanages in developing nations and the increase in tourism numbers. 

We hope that our involvement will encourage other companies, and travellers, to avoid orphanage tourism.

In response to the question, 'There are many excellent orphanages that will be tarred with the same brush of unethical operations. How can we stop that from happening?', Leigh Matthews, the the co-Founder of the ReThink Orphanages Network, makes a bold statement at World Expeditions' Thoughtful Traveller Q&A, which was held in Sydney on 14 Match 2018. World Expeditions are a leader in worldwide adventure travel holidays and our responsible tourism policies help guide our decision making. Learn more about our policies here: https://worldexpeditions.com/Responsible-Travel