Slum tourism is a type of tourism that involves visiting impoverished areas, which has become increasingly prominent in several developing countries like India, Brazil, Kenya, and Indonesia [1] The concept began in poor sections of London and by 1884 had started in Manhattan.[2]
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The Oxford English Dictionary dates the first use of the word "slumming" to 1884. In London, people visited "slum" neighborhoods such as Whitechapel or Shoreditch in order to observe life in this situation. In 1884 the concept moved to New York City to the Bowery and the Five Points area of the Lower East Side where people visited to see "how the other half lives." [3]
In the 1980s in South Africa "township tours" were organised to educate local governments on how the black population lived. It then attracted international tourists that wanted to support and learn more about apartheid.[4]
In the mid-1990s, however, international tours began to be organized in the most disadvantaged areas of developing nations, often known as slums. They have grown in popularity, and are now often run and advertised by professional companies. In Cape Town, South Africa, for example, upwards of 300,000 tourists visit the city each year for such purposes.[5]
Prior to the release of Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, Mumbai was a slum tourist destination for slumming. [6] The concept of slum tourism has recently started to gain more attention from media and academia alike. In December 2010 the first international conference on slum tourism was held in Bristol,[7] while a social network of people working in or with slum tourism has been set up as well.[8]
Slum tourism is mainly performed in urban areas of developing countries, most often named after the type of areas that are visited:
A 2010 study by the University of Pennsylvania showed that tourists in Mumbai's Dharavi slum were motivated primarily by curiosity, as opposed to several competing push factors such as social comparison, entertainment, education, or self-actualization. In addition, the study found that most slum residents were ambivalent about the tours, while the majority of tourists reported positive feelings during the tour, with interest and intrigue as the most commonly cited feelings.[9]
Slum tourism has been the subject of much controversy, and both critiques and defenses of the practice have been made in prominent newspaper editorials such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, London Times, and others. Accusations of the industry include that it “turns poverty into entertainment, something that can be momentarily experienced and then escaped from.” In the words of Kenyan New York Times Op-Ed writer Kennedy Odede, “They get photos; we lose a piece of our dignity.”[10] Similar critics call the tours voyeuristic and exploitative.[11] London Times columnist Alice Miles notoriously labeled the movie Slumdog Millionaire “poverty porn” because of what she saw as abuse of the real poverty of individuals for the sake of entertainment.[12] David Fennell, professor of tourism and environment at Brock University, claims that the tours exist mainly to help wealthy Westerners to feel better about themselves.[11]
However, proponents of slum tourism say it is beneficial for all parties involved. Some organizations, such as Reality Tours and Travel argue that they exist to show the positive aspects of slum neighborhoods and dismantle the plethora of stereotypes that abound regarding the people there.[13] Others charge that the majority of the criticisms come from personal opinion articles rather than real research or scholarship.[14] Furthermore, the tours typically provide employment and income for tour guides from the slums, an opportunity for craft-workers to sell souvenirs, and may invest back in the community with profit that is earned.[11] As the debate over the ethicality of slum tourism continues, studies are being done and forums for discussion are being created to further the dialogue and provide reliable information.[15]