Slum Tours
The New York Times is giving the head’s up on the increase in popularity of slum or poverty tours, things that the ‘poorism’ opponents decry as exploitative to the local communities.
I went on one of these tours in South Africa, through the townships of Cape Town with the Direct Action Center for Peace and Memory. The educational tour was conducted by former child soldiers – armed guerrillas that fought against apartheid in their youth. I found this Budget Traveller article online that more or less sums up my experience – eye opening, informative and if exploitative, then exploitative in the least derogatory way. We didn’t peer out the windows like we were on safari, and we infused money into the local economy. While it does leave you with an increased appreciation for what you have, I have a difficult time understanding how that insight could be a bad thing.
