An Art-Based Inquiry into the Perception of Tourism Impacts on Their Quality of Life: The Case of Cambodian Host-Children

Abstract

While host-children are vulnerable to tourism impacts, the tourism literature has neglected how these impacts affect host-children’s quality of life (QOL). The concept of QOL is ambiguous, and the influence of a host-guest relationship on residents’ QOL has been overlooked. This paper addresses these gaps by exploring how host-children in a developing country perceive tourism impacts on their QOL, focusing on power dynamics in a host-guest relationship. Data were collected from 94 Cambodian host-children using qualitative methods, including drawings and group interviews. The findings revealed Cambodian host-children’s perceptions of tourism impacts over five life domains—material, learning opportunity, cultural pride, emotion, and child sex tourism/trafficking. Despite their perception of negative impacts, all host-children believed that tourism had improved their QOL. The paradox of QOL is explained through Bottom-up Spillover Theory incorporated with Social Exchange Theory. Practical implications for post-COVID and directions for future research are suggested.