Abstract:
Tourism is the world’s leading and fastest growing industry which
generates many positive impacts on the destinations. It is also considered as a
root cause of generating different socio-cultural problems. Employing of child
labor in different tourism related activities is a prominent issue and it has now
become a common jeopardy and a public debate, especially among social
scientists. Therefore, an incessant attention has been given to study the
different facets of this issue. This background is common in the Sri Lankan
tourism industry too. The main objective of this research was to study the
issues and challenges of utilizing child labor in the tourism industry of the
Eastern Tourism Region of Sri Lanka. After a preliminary survey, Ampara,
Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts were selected as the study area. The
judgment and purposive sampling methods were used to select the sample and
the total sample of this research was 190, which comprised of 140 child
workers and 50 tourism related establishments. Both quantitative and
qualitative methods were employed to collect data. The data was analyzed
applying qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. The overall findings
of the study are discussed under several sub headings including the overall
nature of the child labour utilization with main facets such as the existing
nature and types of work, the place of work, salaries and wages, different
problems faced by child workers and the existing issues and challenges. As
per the general findings of the research the child workers of the study area
have been employed in both formal and informal sectors of the tourism
industry. The issues related to child labour utilization are in two main forms
viz. the different issues and challenges faced by child labourers and the
business community of the study area.
