Latest news with #childRights
Malay Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
‘Children are not a nuisance': France weighs crackdown on adult-only hotels and restaurants, urges society to be more inclusive
PARIS, May 28 — The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called 'no kids' strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more and more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government yesterday held a roundtable meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. 'Children are not a nuisance,' said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting 'a society that is open to children'. 'We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children,' she told AFP. El Hairy said excluding children was infringing on their rights, putting pressure on their parents and dividing society. 'There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold,' El Hairy told broadcaster RTL. 'We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence,' she added. 'It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country.' On Tuesday, she brought together representatives of the tourism and transport industries, including Airbnb, to discuss the 'no-kids' trend. In France, adult-only services are currently limited. According to estimates from a travel industry union, they represented around three percent of the market in 2024. Questions about children's place in society have been at the forefront of the public debate in France in recent years. The French Federation of Nurseries has repeatedly called on lawmakers to ensure children's right 'to make noise'. In the spring of 2024, a report submitted to President Emmanuel Macron said authorities needed to create alternatives to help children reduce the amount of screen time and 'give them back their rightful place, including their right to be noisy'. A few months later, the government's High Council for Family, Children and Age (HCFEA) warned about the lack of spaces for children, pointing to the 'harmful consequences for their physical and mental health'. Rossignol praised El Hairy's initiative to gather together tourism and transport executives, but said more needed to be done. 'Now we need to go further,' she said. 'The president's camp must put this issue on the parliamentary agenda.' — AFP
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Adult-only hotels and holiday resorts could be banned in European country – as they are a ‘threat to society'
THE French government is planning to crack down on adult-only hotels, campsites and restaurants. The decision comes after some people claimed that there was a growing intolerance towards children in the country, which is also facing a falling birthrate. 4 4 Sarah El Haïry, the high commissioner for childhood, said the "no-kids trend" has caused "violence against children" and poses a threat to society, reports The Times. She also addressed those who complain about noisy children and how they are spreading the "idea that children are a nuisance" and putting pressure on parents to make sure they stay quiet. She added: "A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury." El Haïry also said that government lawyers were currently looking at taking legal action against some hotels that refuse children completely. Many hotels in France advertise that they are adult-only, including Saint-Delis in Honfleur in Normandy, which charges €334-a-night (£280.12). The hotel promises an 'exclusive' and 'peaceful' experience. Some campsites are also adult-only, like Camp Laurent in southwest France. There are fears that France will follow the example of Belgium, where one in 10 restaurants now ban children, according to Paris Match magazine. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, is leading the campaign against adult-only venues and she plans to introduce a private member's bill making it illegal to ban children from hotels, campsites and restaurants. However, some lawyers are saying that there is no need for it to go this far, as banning children from such places is already illegal. The luxury hotel claims to make guests 'feel like they're abroad' with an adults only spa and golf course They argue that the ban falls under a law prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of "origin, gender, family situation or age". El Haïry will now be bringing together tourists and travel industry executives to encourage them to adopt a "pro-kids" approach. Some of those who argue for child-free zones claim they are necessary as children are becoming more unruly following a more 'positive parenting' approach that has grown in popularity over the past decade. Others have disagreed claiming that it is natural for children to be loud and want to run around. 4 Some travellers like having the choice for child-free hotels, with one person commenting on social media: "I only book adult-only and have loads of choice, both budget and luxury. "If only there were adult-only flights too." However, others felt differently, with one person stating: "I've never stayed adults only and can't really see the appeal, for me. "I like children and young people and imagine that adults only places are full of loved up couples and old grouches." Also, one woman visited an off-the-radar paradise island off the French coast – and flights from UK cost just £40 return. Plus, Eurocamp holidays in France cost less than UK breaks this summer – with £5pp a night stays, on-site pools & waterparks. 4
