This week I came across an article highlighting the growing trend of poverty tours. The writer described a developing avenue of the tourism industry in which travelers connect with a local tour company that takes them around a slum for a few hours to show them what poverty looks like in the developing world. I believe this concept raises some important ethical considerations for travelers.
Are “poverty tours” ethical? Can they really help the community, or are they merely exploiting vulnerable people?
The thought of a group of tourists descending upon a poverty-ridden area in their 15-passenger van, wearing designer clothes, with cameras dangling from their necks really unsettles me. I am reluctant because I believe such a tour puts people living in poverty on display and invades their lives. What would I think if someone drove up and down my suburban American street snapping photos of me and staring in utter amazement as I take out the garbage or wash my car? It seems absurd. What kind of message does this send to people experiencing poverty? I should think I might feel rather humiliated.
But am I hypocritical? Don’t these “poverty tourists” have good intentions — to learn, to be challenged, to make a difference? Do I not do the same thing when I travel? After all, I want to see how people really live. So I snap photos, albeit discretely, so that I can show people at home what poverty looks like in the developing world … right?
To be honest, I actually enjoy leaving this American life of excess and going to a place where I can experience (at least on some level) what two-thirds of the planet lives like every day. It just feels so real and uncensored. My visits to garbage cities in Egypt, rural communities in Peru, and impoverished villages in Uganda are the travel experiences that produced the greatest change in me.
So why then do I hesitate to support an avenue of the tourism industry that helps facilitate similar experiences for other travelers?
I think the reason is because the tours in question do not actually create those same experiences for travelers. I was able to visit these places because I spent time volunteering there, helping to empower impoverished communities rather than simply tour them; I formed relationships with the community residents rather than just driving by them. Poverty tours leave out the key elements of engagement, contribution, and exchange.
I’m not here to pass judgement on anyone who has signed up for or taken one of these so-called “poverty tours.” Actually, the fact that you have done so or have considered doing so is admirable because I truly believe your intentions were altruistic. You also were willing to put yourself in an uncomfortable, perhaps even dangerous situation, which is something not every traveler will do.
Nonetheless, my concern persists. I fear poverty tours will not really lead to change, and that they could actually do more harm than good to the community, as well as to the traveler. We have a responsibility as citizens of the world to ensure we make ethical choices when we travel. This does not mean we should never visit a slum, but it does mean we should carefully consider the most responsible means of doing so.
If you are considering a trip that brings you face to face with extreme poverty, or specifically a “poverty tour,” here are some questions to consider before making your decision:
1.) Does the money I spend on the tour go toward helping this community?
Is someone from the community serving as the tour guide? Are the profits from the tours reinvested into education, healthcare, or economic development of the community? Do thorough research. Ask detailed questions of your tour company. Find out how they are using the money, and if it is not reinvested in the community, thoughtfully consider whether or not your touring the community will really have a positive impact on the people who live there.
The crowded streets of Kampala, Uganda
2.) What are my motivations for taking such a tour?
Do you want to see poverty and develop a better understanding of it? Do you seek an understanding of poverty that will inspire you to action? Or do you simply want to teach your child why he should not waste his food? People experiencing poverty are not tourist attractions. They are not there to be gawked at or marveled over any more than you and I are. Be discrete, and make sure your motives involve a desire to take action.
Volunteering in La Romana, Dominican Republic
3.) Would I take such a tour in my own community if given the opportunity?
This is a tough one. How many of us would take a poverty tour in a foreign country but not in our own? How many of us will volunteer for a few weeks to help orphans in Uganda, but are slow to jump at the chance to care for the poor in our own community? We wouldn’t be caught dead going into such and such part of town. We think we’ll be shot. Our car will be stolen. And besides, it’s just not as glamorous to spend a weekend at a local soup kitchen as it is to travel overseas. We are less afraid to venture into one of the most notorious slums in Africa than we are to drive our locked car into America’s inner-cities? Sadly, I am guilty of all of these thoughts myself. Before you take a tour of a community halfway across the world, take an afternoon and spend some time getting to know your own. None of us is as far removed from poverty as we would like to think.
Posing with the women of our host family on Lake Titicaca’s Isla Taquile in Peru.
4.) Is there another way I can develop an understanding of extreme poverty that instead encourages community engagement?
Instead of touring poverty or seeing poverty – engage with the people who live it. These relationships are what leads to positive and lasting change. We’re big advocates of relational travel, but we recognize this is not easy. It takes time and effort. We suggest a few options to make it easier:
1.) Volunteer. We have both volunteered on service trips with our church and other faith-based organizations. These opportunities have taken us into some of the most impoverished communities in Egypt, Uganda, and the Dominican Republic, as well as Orlando, Hartford, New York, and Washington, D.C. in the United States. These trips have ranged anywhere from one day to one week to one month.
2.) Try a home-stay. If volunteering is not your style, then perhaps a local home-stay option is appropriate for you. You can stay for as little or as long as you like, and they are available most anywhere in the world. We spent the night with a family on the Isla Taquile at Lake Titicaca in Peru. We learned a lot about their lifestyle and traditions, played with the kids, ate some delicious home-made food, and learned about their community.
A man begs on the streets of Cusco, Peru
5.) Am I prepared to respond to what I will see?
What will you do with the knowledge you acquire on this “poverty tour?” Will you live any differently? Will you give to charities? If so, which ones? Will you educate your friends and family? Will your newly acquired knowledge impact your habits as a consumer and/or traveler? However you choose to take action, you have a responsibility to do something with this knowledge.
One reason people are turned off by poverty, or are afraid of it, is because they really have no clue what to do about it. That depresses them and overwhelms them, so they’d rather stick to the more pleasant places to travel. After all, it is a vacation, right? I don’t blame them. Taking action is not easy. But it’s important. Your tour company or guide should provide you with a few simple action steps as to how you can apply your knowledge of poverty, deepen your understanding, and impact change. If they don’t, research it independently, or, contact us. We would love to share our thoughts with you.
Have you ever taken a “poverty tour?” Do you think they are ethical?
Have you volunteered abroad? What are your thoughts on how travelers can have a positive impact on global poverty reduction?
Gaby
Wow, this article raises a lot of interesting points. I’ve never heard of poverty tourism and although I find it a little shocking, I’m also not very surprised that it exists. I found your points really provocative and it really made me think about some of my experiences in new light. Thanks for sharing, I’ve only just discovered your blog, but I’m definitely going to start following your posts from now on.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks so much, Gaby! Glad you found the article thought-provoking. It was meant to cause people to think, rather than to give a definitive answer. Writing it helped me work out a lot of my own thoughts, too. Thanks for checking us out, and we’ll do the same!
Cole @ Four Jandals
Wow didn’t even know these sorts of tours existed! I immediately became defensive when reading this thinking that it sounds horrible but then realised that there is a chance going on these tours that those people can make a difference. Whether they choose to make a difference or just gloat to their friends that they “saw the real such and such place” is another matter.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorCole, you bring up a really important point — that some people do actually gloat that they’ve seen these places. I’ve probably been guilty of such an attitude myself, of saying to people that I’ve seen real poverty so therefore I must know what I am talking about. The fact is, I’ve never lived in extreme poverty, so I really won’t ever know. I was defensive when I read it too, but it led me to a greater question which is ok, this isn’t the solution, but what is? What’s the most appropriate and least invasive way to get involved and make a difference. And I think that’s up to each of us to figure out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Anis
This post is such an eye-opener and raises so many important questions. As you’ve mentioned, a poverty tour works when those taking it initiate some form of action, but honestly I’m not sure if that happens in every case. Having said that, poverty tours don’t appeal to everyone, so I’d like to think that those who have signed up for such trips are truly interested in learning how they can help. A lot of it however depends on the tour company and if it means well.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorYes, I think those who sign up are interested in how they can help or at least signed up because they have a desire to increase their awareness. I think unfortunately there can be some unintended consequences to such tours. Thanks for your thoughts.
Claudia
That article was very relevant and thought provoking. Unless one only takes cruises and vacations with upscale travel agencies, you’re going to have some contact with poverty in other countries. Somehow it doesn’t seem right to gawk at it through the windows of a tour bus though. I don’t see how one couldn’t be affected by being made aware of the different circumstances some people in the world have to cope with-especially children. Seeing the street children of Mexico has definitely changed me and I do help with one of the organizations in Oaxaca-Centro de Esperanza Infantil A. C. that runs a free school for these kids. They are working towards a grant at the moment and to help all you have to do is go here
http://www.cultivatewines.com/cause/6207/ and vote . Please help out! It’s one small thing you can do.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorClaudia, thanks so much for commenting and offering your thoughts. I will definitely check out the website and share it through our Facebook page as well. I feel the same discomfort with “gawking” at people and poverty through the windows of a tour bus. I hate it, though, that so often my travel experiences have me doing just that, not by choice, but by sheer necessity as that’s my transportation option. When someone makes eye contact with me and then looks down, seemingly embarassed, I have such a sick feeling. I also think your point is good that it is difficult to travel your whole life without coming into contact with extreme poverty — the question for me is how do we act upon that, how do we engage with people? Thanks for sharing what you’re doing to address exactly that.
Jess @UsedYorkCity
Loved this post. And Question #3 really resonated with me. While I was reading this, I was thinking of the poverty that takes place within the confines of our own city…although it may look different than visiting the slums in Africa (projects rather than shacks, perhaps), we have communities that face the same problems. While going on a “poverty tour” can give a snapshot of what other pockets of the world are living like, I’m a huge advocate of giving back to your own neighbors, helping out those that are closer to home. It may cause you to pause before signing up for a tour that exploits other poverty stricken areas.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks, Jess. That’s a question I have to constantly ask myself, too. I have to honestly admit that I find it more attractive and glamorous to volunteer in a poor community overseas than I do in a poor community down the street from me — even though I work in a field that calls me to do just that.
Ayngelina
Wow that’s such a tough question, ultimately I would be suspicious the money was actually going to help the community and I’d feel uncomfortable exploiting them for a tour company’s profits.
Dean
Very interesting points. I personally wouldn’t go on one of these tours. I think it’s important to experience how these people live as there is a lot to learn. In my experience, the happiest people I’ve met are those that have basically nothing. However I don’t think taking a tour is a good way to do this. It just seems wrong to me.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThat’s a great observation, Dean, that the happiest people you’ve met have had next to nothing. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha von Geldern
You’ve raised some very important points. I did go on a so-called poverty tour once - in Cape Town, South Africa - because it was the only way I could think of to see the other side of the city. It felt very unnatural and invasive. And then the tour was held up at gunpoint and my camera was stolen! Highlighting the vast gulf between myself as a western tourist and the people living in the townships. I have had wonderful experiences with homestays, in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Cuba - I support community based tourism schemes where you know you are benefiting your hosts! Love the idea of volunteering also.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks for sharing your experience, Natasha! So sorry to hear you were robbed at gunpoint. That’s awful. But, also illustrative as well. It’s really good to hear you’ve had such good experiences with homestays. I think that’s a better option. We’ve done that before ourselves. Seems like a way to both learn about a culture, but also engage with people on an individual level, and, since they signed up to be a host family, they are inviting you in, rather than you coming in unannounced or unsolicited. Also helps them financially as well.
Laurence
I guess there’s a market for everything. This article raises some really interesting points. I don’t think I’d want to take a tour like this, but as you say, when travelling, we are essentially life voyeurs. Maybe if the tour was properly ethical, and all the money was going back into the community. Or if it was an educational experience. Some people don’t have much vacation time, and maybe they should be applauded for wanting to do more than just sit in a nice resort and get a tan - if a tour is the only way to get this sort of message across, and if it is done right, maybe it could be a good thing. As you can tell, I’m a bit torn 😉
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks for your thoughts, Laurence. I am always impressed when I find travelers who are actually interested in learning about life beyond themselves and doing more than just sitting on a beach. I do struggle with what the right way to go about learning and raising awareness is.
Angela
I had already heard of this kind of tours and also read Cnn article. I find the idea of such part of the travel industry obscene. Obviously I’m all for raising awareness about poverty and all sensitive issues in the planet, but this is not the right way. As a political journalist I’ve had the chance to visit places with hard living conditions, but even though it’s for working reasons, it takes time, and this is how it should be. You can’t enter another person’s life overnight, you need to make them comfortable around you, they need to trust you, and it can take all the time *they* want. It took me years to enter some houses, and I’m fine with it, I would never insist on timing nor ways.
Poor people are people, as much as we are not comfortable with someone getting too close to our private sphere, the same goes for them, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if some of the people involved in the tour make some situations up just for tourism sake.
This looks to me like one of the many “reality shows” that have become so trendy, an attempt to make entertainment out of human suffering. It makes very sad, as it seems like we are losing all our humanity.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorAngela, that’s a really interesting point about the reality shows. What those shows seem to play on is people’s interest in the drama, craziness, and insanity of the lives of others. For many, such entertainment is addictive. Perhaps the same concept does apply to such tours, where we kind of want to see how other people live perhaps so we can feel better about our own lives and how good we have it. I definitely don’t think these tours are the way to go to raise awareness on poverty, not at all, but I do struggle with what exactly is the “right” answer, especially for travelers with limited time. Also, since my current profession addresses poverty as well, I am constantly evaluating what the balance is between raising awareness and exploitation. Thanks for your thoughts and for your valuable perspective to this conversation.
Antoinette B. | love.antoinette
You guys raised some important ethical issues and questions here that I believe some travelers and the tour companies themselves do not even consider. I have heard of these tours while I was in Rio de Janeiro, those favela tours which were widely advertised. My friends and I wanted to check out these colorful stairs somewhere up in the favela that Snoop Dog had shot his video, but there was nooo way we were going to take that ridiculous tour. So equipped with our brave souls, we went by ourselves quietly and respectfully, took photos of the stairs, ate some food and drank some beers at a teeny tiny cafe, and we left just as quietly as we entered. People knew we weren’t from there but noone bothered us the least bit. It becomes offensive when you bring along a whole group of travelers to check out “poverty”, done in the worst way. This isn’t the zoo, these are people’s neighborhoods, their homes, their lives. Poverty isn’t supposed to be entertaining. Unfortunately, in this crazy world we live in, someone’s always going to come up with some idea to make some $$.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks for your comments, Antoinette. I can only hope that these companies are trying to do some good, too, and not just exploit people for the sake of making money.
Toni
I actually went on a township tour of Cape Town as part of my overland itinerary and I have to say that I felt many of the same points. Was it right to be there? What about my money? However, our guide actually reassured me that these kind of tours (when done correctly) are a very good thing…our guide lived in the township and almost all the money raised when into the community. He also pointed out that the world isn’t going to learn by reading about his community in a book and that the ‘school of life’ is the only thing that will change his country and his community for the better which I found hard to disagree with.
I struggled taking photos and whilst I was quite reserved, other people in my group took photos of everything even when people were attempting to walk away. Children on the other hand wanted nothing more than for us to take photos because they were just as curious about us and we were about them and their lives. The children ended up walking with us around the tour which was a humble experience. At the end of the day, it’s all about balance. Find a reputable company to go with, be respectful and remember that above all else, they are humans not tourist attractions
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorToni, thanks for sharing. I’m glad to hear you had that experience and that it caused you so much reflection. I had an experience in Egypt (which I’ll write in greater detail in a future post) where a family turned and shook their finger at me as I took a photo of them. I of course stopped taking the photo at that point, but that moment of just trying to and the feeling that I had violated them still haunts me to this day.
Chris (Amateur Traveler)
I agree that a volunteer trip is preferable. I have done 16 volunteer trips doing projects like building housing in Tijuana. But, while I am not as comfortable with a poverty tour I would probably do one if the money was going into the community, if it was run by members of the community and it had some clear call to action with what I could do with my new found enlightenment.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks for sharing your experience, Chris. That’s great that you’ve done so many volunteer trips. I love to hear about travelers using their time off to give back. Justin and I have done quite a few ourselves and have found it to be life-changing.
Laurel
I’ve never heard of a poverty tour before. I would have concerns about exploiting the local people as well, unless it was organized thoughtfully where the locals agreed to the tour and profited from it in some way.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorAgreed. The potential for exploitation is great. Thanks for commenting.
Karen @ Trans-Americas Journey
Well said and you nailed it: “Poverty tours leave out the key elements of engagement, contribution, and exchange.” Good points raised and good resources given-I hope anyone considering such a tour asks themselves your difficult but enlightening “before you go” questions. Well done.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks so much, Karen! I am glad you found the questions enlightening … I always wonder that I am over-thinking things. I agree, engagement, contribution, and exchange are key. Thanks again for your comment.
Linda
There are so many questions in life which can only be answered by our own consciences. It’s a given that the tour must have an ethical base, and it’s a given that we should go with the best of intentions, even if all we can do is make a donation to a local fund at the end. There are many organizations which work in impoverished communities worldwide which do more harm than good. Some intentionally exploit the poor, and often it’s hard to assess them until too late, we’ve already donated time or money to their “cause.” These organizations need urgently to be dealt with in a very severe manner. Others do harm through their own ignorance, they fail to appreciate the consequences or the impact of their western mentality on local culture, even though their intentions are good by their own standards. I can see poverty tours falling into this latter category.
Like others, I’ve been unaware of these tours, and I honestly can’t understand see the “bad” kind of tourists taking them, but I can see those going with good intentions doing harm one way or another. Then again, you have to figure that not everyone has the opportunity to volunteer, so awareness, to be passed on somehow is a good thing.
This is a question without one, definitive answer I think.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorI think it’s the unintended consequences of such a tour — or even of volunteering — that most concern me. It’s definitely something to think about, because like you said, not everyone has the time to volunteer, but raising awareness is still important. I think there has to be a better way than a “poverty tour,” and I hope to learn more about such options in the future. Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Raymond @ Man On The Lam
If at least part of the money was going towards building a better life for these people, then I would take one of these tours in a Calcutta minute. If it was just padding pockets of some fat rich dude, then no dice.
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorI always appreciate when I see the tourism industry in general focusing on ways to grow communities and improve quality of life. Not sure all these tours would do that, though … Thanks for your thoughts!
Abby
Wow. That is heavy, and something I did not know existed and thus hadn’t thought about. I just don’t think I could ever do it. I mean, I can’t stand it when people take tours of my office building — I tell them I am not an animal at the zoo! There have to be other (safe) ways to get money to these areas, whether it’s hiring a local guide to take you to a local restaurant in the area, or to someone’s home who sells art. The actual tour is too much for me. An excellent post, Ellen, that will have me thinking all day!
Ellen Small Billard
AuthorThanks so much, Abby. Glad it got you thinking. I agree — there has to be a better way to connect, though I do think it’s important for travelers to get out of their comfort zones and go to places that make them feel nervous or unsafe. Thanks for your thoughts!
Charles Rahm
I have a controversial question: Does it bother you, that such a tour would give access to these areas to people, that are less involved in volunteering?
In my opinion it is enough, if the inhabitants of the slum can make profit of the tour by selling food or souvenirs. That can give them the chance to get out of their poverty on their own.
Turtle
It’s a really interesting topic and it raises questions that probably don’t have definite answers.
I think it’s important to think about the average tourist - not the average traveller who would take the time to read this article. They are probably on a very short trip to a country/city and don’t have time to engage with the local community. Probably only a small percentage of those tourists will even think about looking at life away from the western hotels and famous landmarks. The fact they are willing to acknowledge that poverty exists and are interested in knowing more about it is very commendable. If a ‘poverty tour’ is the only way to see it and understand more, then so be it.
Maybe any criticism should be directed at the operators who aren’t running their business ethically, rather than tourists who want to know more about the world.
Pingback: What Does Poverty Look Like? Part 2 - Poverty Tours « Collecting Stamps
Hilarye
I agree- instead of gawking at poor people volunteer to help them!
Laura @Travelocafe
Helping in any form is still helping. Sometimes the impact might not be as great as expected, but as long as it is a positive impact - why not? But, yes, your article raises some clear issues… the poverty problem is so complex and it’s disgusting that it is still a reality in the 21th century…
Susan @ Travel Deals
Really It’s so sad to watch and I can’t able watch poor people who doesn’t have get enough food on regular. our responsibility to help them as much as we can.
Nico from A Travellers Journey
It’s an interesting article. I personally like exploring most areas of a city, be they rich or poor, which is the thing really. The two sides of the coin gives a city its character.
The flipside of this poverty tourism is affluent tourism. Most people take it for granted that there are guides around rich areas of a city. Rome, London, New York, almost any international city has a tourist trail going through the more affluent areas. People often don’t think that when they’re exploring a rich city they also create ‘problems,’ if you can term it in that way. Venice is a prime example of a city that has become so popular that locals are being priced out of their own homes. Arguably a result of the cities popularity inadvertantly resulting from tourism… I’m not making judgements, rather just putting it out there.
Cathie
I’ve been to cities on my own where the poverty would make you gasp. I’ve always tried to identify ways to help…. Whether it’s books for the libraries or clothing for clothing bank. I think poverty tours may be a good way to get an additional viewpoint and see where assistance can make the biggest difference.
Jemma
I think poverty tours can be helpful because sometimes, people just can’t appreciate what they have until they see poverty. Also, I think it can help open the eyes of some people that there are many who need our help. I hope we’ll all share our blessings with them and more volunteering works for them!