Child Labor and Child Work in the Touristic Sector of Cozumel and Valle de Bravo, Mexico

ABSTRACT Child labor and child work conditions are analyzed in Cozumel and Valle de Bravo, both major tourist destinations in Mexico, where critical situations of minors employed in tourism-related activities were identified. Theoretically, local development considers child labor as a variable that increases the vulnerability of children and impedes their well-being. Qualitative methodology that included interviews and direct observation was used. The main finding was that poverty-related factors are the main drivers of child labor, compromising education, health, and therefore the future of minors. Nevertheless, several other factors intervene in child work, therefore public policies ought to focus on the context of each of the areas where these types of tourism-related work prevail.