Federation University Associate Professor in tourism and management Dr Elisa Zentveld has handed an 85,000-word book manuscript to a publisher, hoping to fill an important knowledge gap.

"Holidays are meant to be times for rest and escape, but family violence doesn't take a holiday," she said.

"Holidays can be a time when family violence increases."

Dr Zentveld said crime statistics data showed family violence rates spiked around Christmas, New Year and the time of major sporting events.

"When things go wrong in the trip, the perpetrator will often take it out on the victim," she said.

The book, titled Control, abuse, bullying and family violence in tourism industries, details experiences of family violence through personal stories and uncovers what Dr Zentveld calls the 'underbelly' of tourism.

Personal stories include her own experiences of family violence, separation and battles for sole parental responsibility and to change her children's surnames.

"I take the reader through those journeys hoping it may help others," Dr Zentveld said.

The book reveals how freedom does not necessarily come from separation of a perpetrator of family violence and 'too often the judicial system lets victims down'.

"People tend to think that all someone has to do is leave and the family violence leaves," Dr Zentveld said.

"Leaving is not simple and often not safe and even if someone does leave, their next battle can often be in court."

Dr Zentveld told the story of a woman who was denied consent to travel overseas with her children to visit their maternal grandparents by the children's father, who was a perpetrator of family violence in the book.

Dr Zentveld has worked on writing the book for the past 12 months, dedicating many hours on weekends and late at night to writing with an aim to raise awareness of family violence's impact on tourism.

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