Orphanage Tourism: From good intentions to responsible impact

This article was written for Uncover magazine – From Global to Ground (10th edition). You can read the full magazine here. 

Author: Rodney Westerlaken is postdoctoral researcher on child rights, tourism ethics, and community resilience at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and he is coordinator of the SIG Orphanage Tourism.

At the heart of the issue lies a powerful but misleading narrative: that visiting or volunteering in an orphanage is a meaningful form of development assistance. In reality, global evidence shows that up to 80 per cent of children living in institutions are not orphans at all, but have families who could care for them with modest social support. The demand created by visitors can incentivise the separation of children from their communities, undermine family-based care, and expose minors to safeguarding risks. This directly conflicts with SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), while challenging tourism’s claim to contribute positively to local development.

From charity-driven engagement to rights-based responsibility
For the tourism sector, the ethical dilemma is profound. Hospitality organisations promote empathy, service, and intercultural connection, yet these values can be distorted when poverty is packaged as an experience. Tour operators, universities, and NGOs have historically facilitated short-term volunteering without sufficient understanding of child protection standards. The SIG therefore argues that the sector must move from charity-driven engagement to rights-based responsibility. Tourism education has a crucial role in this transition by equipping future professionals with critical literacy, ethical decision-making skills, and knowledge of community-based alternatives.

A practical illustration comes from Bali, Indonesia, where tourism growth has coincided with a high number of residential care facilities. Research conducted from 2015 onwards documented how some institutions adapted their daily routines to meet visitor expectations: children were encouraged to perform dances, share personal stories, and form emotional bonds with short-term guests. While marketed as cultural exchange, such practices blurred the boundary between hospitality and exploitation. Collaboration with local social services revealed that many children had living parents facing temporary economic hardship rather than abandonment.

The above demonstrates that meaningful action is needed and that tourism actors must accept shared responsibility. Rather than withdrawing from social engagement, the tourism and hospitality sector can support SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) by investing in scholarships, teacher training, and inclusive employment for caregivers. The SIG promotes principles of “do no harm”, informed consent, and child participation, urging organisations to conduct safeguarding risk assessments comparable to those used in health and environmental management.

Child-safe standards
Looking forward, we should take up the challenge to normalise child-safe standards across the industry. Travel platforms still advertise orphanage experiences, and many universities continue to offer placements without robust oversight. The SIG Orphanage Tourism calls for collective action: accreditation bodies should integrate child-rights criteria; tour operators must adopt no-visit policies; and researchers should evaluate long-term outcomes of de-institutionalisation within tourism economies. Only by uncomfortable truths being confronted can tourism contribute to a better society rather than unintentionally sustaining harm.

Orphanage tourism reminds us that hospitality is not only about welcoming guests, but also about protecting those who are most vulnerable. When empathy is guided by evidence and ethics, tourism can become a genuine partner in sustainability transitions, supporting families, strengthening communities, and ensuring that children grow up where they belong: at home.

Photography
In line with child-safeguarding principles, no real children were photographed. The accompanying visuals are AI-generated illustrations created to avoid any identification of minors while conveying the ethical concerns discussed in this article.