Slum tourism is a sort of tourism that includes visiting impoverished places such as Kenya and Uganda in emerging African countries. It is also popular in South Africa and Namibia after the end of apartheid. Many South African communities are still clearly split among affluent and impoverished zones. A slum tour in Africa is a terrific opportunity to observe what life is like for the majority of inhabitants in a particular African town or city. Visitors may observe how individuals live and the tasks they do to support their families. Slum tours are not solely depressing; the towns frequently feature bustling populations with businesses, schools, and market booths.
How Effective Is Slum Tourism?
Slum tours, when done properly, may provide economic advantages and social mobility to persons living in underserved regions. The tours itself may be led by locals, and visitors frequently purchase locally made things such as food and souvenirs.
Are Slum Tours Moral?
Finally, slum tourism may be ethical if it actively incorporates and improves the lives of the people who live in these unplanned communities. What’s the most secure approach to visit a favela? The greatest method would be to do it in a controlled atmosphere with knowledgeable advisors.
What Are The Counter-Arguments Against Slum Tourism?
This is an exploitative and voyeuristic activity. Locals may not enjoy or want to be placed on display for visitors and may feel demoralized as a result. Most tourists travel for curiosity, not to give back to the community.
Who Stands To Gain From Slum Tourism?
Today, it is a thriving company, bringing over a million tourists to informal communities in various locations across the world each year. Proponents of the sector argue that slum tourism generates conversation that may lead to constructive change and that earnings benefit local slum populations.
When Did Slum Tourism First Appear?
When black South Africans began providing tours of their townships—the downtrodden, racially segregated places where they were forced to live—to try raise worldwide awareness of serious human rights violations in the early 1990s.