Slum tourism is, believe it or not, a real type of tourism– people visit slums while on holiday. But why? This article explains what slum tourism is, where it takes place, its positive and negative impacts and the ethical debates that surround it.
What is slum tourism?
Slum tourism is essentially when people visit slums – or, more widely, poverty stricken areas – as a form of tourism. This will generally be in a foreign country, one they are visiting as a tourist on holiday or on a business trip. It has also been referred to as ghetto tourism and poverty tourism. According to UN-Habitat, more than 1 billion people around the world live in slums or informal settlements.
Video: Slum tourism explained
Slum tourism definitions
In ‘Theorizing Slum Tourism’, researchers Eveline Dürr and Rivke Jaffe described slum tourism as follows:
‘Slum tourism involves transforming poverty, squalor and violence into a tourism product. Drawing on both altruism and voyeurism, this form of tourism is a complex phenomenon that raises various questions concerning power, inequality and subjectivity.‘
While this describes slum tourism, it doesn’t necessarily define what it actually is. Bob Ma of the University of Pennsylvania says this:
‘Slum tourism is one of the fastest-growing niche tourism segments in the world, but it is also one of the most controversial. The United Nations defines a slum as, “a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security” (UN, 2007). Slum tourism is the organization of tours in these areas. As a niche segment, slum tourism is distinguished from developmental tourism, which is a broader term that includes tourism in any region that is undergoing development.‘
Slum tourism as charity tourism
Some people engage in charity tourism – visiting slums or areas of high poverty with the intention of ‘making things better’. This is also sometimes called volunteer tourism. In the UK, for example, charity appeals such as Comic Relief have often shown celebrities heading to various underdeveloped areas of Africa to build schools or install wells for fresh water access etc. Many organisations charge volunteers significant fees to take part in similar projects.
People do this as it is within human nature to want to help people who have less than we do. But it is also, of course, a chance to see somewhere new and explore a different culture. It can also be seen as a way to boost a CV. This means that taking part in slum tourism isn’t a purely selfless act, and this is why it can sometimes be frowned upon.
Studies show that slum tourism can have negative impacts on local communities – the use of unskilled labour, for example, and the taking of jobs that could ultimately have gone to local people. There is also usually no long term commitment involved, and of course there is the concept of white saviour syndrome.
What is white saviour syndrome?
The following extract comes from De-constructing the ‘White Saviour Syndrome’: A Manifestation of Neo-Imperialism by Felix Willuweit:
‘With the recent widespread of protests for black civil rights and against racism across the Western world, the topic of white prejudice has risen to the centre of public attention, of which one manifestation is the so-called ‘White Saviour Syndrome’. Whether it is Ed Sheeran posing for ‘Comic Relief’ with a number of black children (Hinsliff, 2019), Madonna adopting children from Malawi (Hinsliff, 2019), or students going on adventures advertised for ‘young philanthropists’ within a multi-million dollar gap-year industry (Bandyopadhyay, 2019), numerous cases of altruistic acts of ‘White Saviours’ can be found throughout popular culture in the global North.’
Whereas these practices follow an altruistic narrative, they are commonly criticised as serving to satisfy a ‘White Saviour Syndrome’, the phenomenon in which a white person “guides people of colour from the margins to the mainstream with his or her own initiative and benevolence” which tends to render the people of colour “incapable of helping themselves” and disposes them of historical agency (Cammarota, 2011: 243-244).
What does a slum tour involve?
So what does slum tourism involve? Many tour operators offer literal ‘slum tours’ as part of their packages, and some tourists visit slum areas independently. AfricanTrails.co.uk, for example, state that some of their packages do offer slum visits in Kenya, Uganda, Namibia and more.
Reality Tours and Travel are another company offering slum tours. As the company name suggests, they hope to offer a ‘realistic’ side to the places tourists visit. Based in India, a country with a lot of poverty, their slogan is ‘USING TOURISM TO CHANGE LIVES’. They say: Our ethical and educational Dharavi slum tours give visitors a unique glimpse into everyday life for many Mumbaikars while breaking down the negative stereotypes associated with slums. 80% of the profits from every tour are invested back into the community through the programs of our NGO, Reality Gives, and most of our guides are from the community.
Positive impacts of slum tourism
Slum tourism has some positives to it. It gives people an insight into how poverty can affect people – humans are curious by nature, and for people who have never lived in poverty, it can be hard to imagine what it is really like. Visiting a slum whilst on holiday is like opening a window to another life, however briefly.
It is also a chance to provide an income to people living in slums, if the tour involves some sort of opportunity to purchase goods or donate money. And with some tours, as you can see from Reality Tours and Travel above, the booking cost goes into improving the community.
Negative impacts of slum tourism
Of course, there are negatives impacts associated with slum tourism too. The main one is that it treats those who live in slums as though they are in a zoo, dehumanising them so tourists can see what it’s like before swanning off back to their hotel and other luxuries. Some would go so far as to argue that they are a form of ‘human zoo‘. These tours portray poverty as something exotic, rather than a very real danger to the lives of the people impacted by it. It is also questionable how far the money trickles down. When people pay for organised tours, it is not always clear how much of the money reaches the residents.
The ethics of slum tourism
Looking at the pros and cons it is clear that there is an ethical question surrounding slum tourism. People who live in poverty and live in slums are real people. Tourists need to ask themselves whether it is fair for them to be paraded around in front of visitors as part of an organised tour that a company is profiting from.
Researchers in the Slum Tourism Network have raised a number of key questions about slum tourism, including:
- To what extent does slum tourism provide an income and positive visibility for people in deprived areas?
- Which stakeholders are involved in slum tourism and who profits most?
- How are guided tours organised or composed?
- What are the geographical scopes of slum-tourism and which place does it occupy in the new mobility system?
- Where does slum tourism fit in a globalised world of tourist consumption?
There are similarities with tourism to remote tribes, as discussed in this article about the long neck tribe in Thailand. Tourists coming in from outside to view life in a slum through a Western lens for a short time raises the question of whether this paints a fair picture of life there.
Slum tourism destinations
There are various places around the world where slum tourism is prevalent. Here are some examples-
Slum tourism in South Africa
Slum tourism exists across South Africa. Here it is also known as township tourism – in SA, townships are the underdeveloped urban areas, generally populated by people of colour as a fall out from the Apartheid era. Township tours are particularly popular in Cape Town and Johannesburg, where visitors can see places of historical importance such as Soweto, home to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Nelson Mandela’s former house. Many tours are now run by residents, which helps more of the income stay in the community.
Slum tourism in Brazil
Slum tourism in Brazil usually means ‘favela tours’. Favelas are informal settlements found in and around Brazil’s major cities- in Rio de Janeiro, many sit on the hillsides overlooking wealthy neighbourhoods. Favela tours in Rio began in the early 1990s, and Rocinha, often described as Brazil’s largest favela, is one of the most visited. Some favelas experience high levels of crime and violence, so tours are usually run by local guides who know the community.
Slum tourism in India
India is a prime spot for slum tourism due to its high levels of urban poverty. The film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) put Mumbai’s slums onto the screens of millions of people, many of whom became keen to see them for themselves. Dharavi in Mumbai, home to around a million people and one of the largest slums in Asia, is the most visited, and is known for its many small businesses, from recycling to pottery and leather work. Dharavi is now the subject of a major redevelopment project, which has raised questions about the future of its residents and of the tours.
Slum tourism in Indonesia
In Jakarta, some tours visit riverside and railway-side communities where families live in very small homes on very low incomes. Local operators such as Jakarta Hidden Tours have aimed to donate part of their profits to the communities they visit.
Slum tourism in Africa
Across Africa there are poor and underdeveloped communities. Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, often described as one of the largest urban slums in Africa, is one of the most visited. Tour operator AfricanTrails describes slum tours as follows:
Going on an Africa slum tour is a great way to see what life is like for the majority of residents in a specific African town or city. Visitors can see how people live and the work they carry out in order to provide for their families. Slum tours are not purely filled with misery, the towns often have vibrant communities with shops, schools and market stalls.
It is easy to forget that there are people living in these conditions, as it is not something you see every day, so for many, Africa slum tours are a real eye-opening experience. Visitors leave the area with the intention of donating to charities, helping those living in these places. Slum tours give the chance for tourists to interact with others from different backgrounds and see the true beauty of Africa and its people.
Slum tourism: Conclusion
To conclude, slum tourism occurs around the world, and has done since Victorian times, when wealthy Londoners went ‘slumming’ in the city’s poorest areas for voyeuristic and/or philanthropic purposes. People are naturally curious to see another way of life, and many believe that they are helping. The ethics are questionable, but tours that are run by local people, that share profits with the community and that treat residents with dignity are generally seen as more acceptable.
Slum tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about slum tourism.
What is slum tourism?
Slum tourism, also called poverty tourism, township tourism or favela tourism, is when tourists visit poor urban areas such as slums and informal settlements, usually on an organised tour.
Where does slum tourism take place?
Slum tourism takes place in many countries, including the townships of South Africa, the favelas of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Dharavi in Mumbai, India, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, and informal settlements in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Is slum tourism ethical?
Slum tourism is controversial. Critics argue that it treats residents like a ‘human zoo’ and that little money reaches the community. Supporters argue that well-run tours, especially those led by residents and that share profits with the community, can provide income, challenge stereotypes and raise awareness of poverty.
When did slum tourism start?
Slum tourism dates back to Victorian London in the 1800s, when wealthy people went ‘slumming’ in the city’s poorest areas. Modern slum tours began in South Africa and Brazil in the late 20th century.
What is an example of ethical slum tourism?
Reality Tours & Travel in Mumbai is often cited as an example. It runs tours of Dharavi with guides from the community, and states that a large share of its profits goes to its partner NGO, Reality Gives, which runs education programmes.
Further reading
Top 10 dark tourism destinations
Dark tourism explained: What, why and where
Medical tourism: What where and why
