Children in hospitality and tourism : marketing and managing experiences

Abstract

This book works to fill a serious gap in tourism and hospitality research – children as future consumers. For decades, researchers and industry practitioners alike have overlooked and undervalued the significance of children’s perspectives and their influence as decision-makers. However, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) emphasizes that children have the right to participate in matters that affect them. With this in mind, the contributors to this edited collection draw attention to children as thinkers, actors and transformers of the future of the tourism and hospitality industry. Through a mix of conceptual and empirical chapters, the book collectively supports an overarching theme: the empowerment of children as present and future consumers should be a core component of any sustainable tourism initiative. Towards this goal, the chapters herein represent internationally diverse perspectives and offer a number of innovative recommendations to the industry’s practitioners.