TRAVEL MOTIVATIONS OF SLUM TOURISTS
Author: Milla Haverinen
1 Commentries
Has anyone of you participated on a slum tour? What are the motives for people to join in such a tour?
The first slum tours were a leisure-time activity for upper classes and it took place in the poorer parts of Victorian London. Around one century later, the slum tours took place in Harlem, New York. Nowadays, slum tourism takes place in the poorer areas of global south, in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Manila, Nairobi, Mexico City and Mumbai. Slum tourism is becoming more popular each year, as an example, in Dharavi slum, in Mumbai, India the development of slum visitors is increasing rapidly. As an example, in 2008, the amount of visitors was 3150 and by the end of year 2010, the amount of visitors had increased up to 7000 visitors. Slum tourism is the very popular in Rio de Janeiro favelas, where 40 000 tourists visit each year. However, the largest amount of tourists visit townships in Cape Town, where up to 300 000 tourists visit each year.
Some people perceive slum tours as negative form of tourism. Rich people sit in air-conditioned couches and observe poverty. Even though, these tours have negative ring to it, the demand is growing. As the interest in slum tourism is increasing, arises the question, what are the motivations for tourists to participate on these tours? Is it a desire to explore different side of the travel destination? Is it even voyeurism? Medias increased interest in slum tourism is one of the main reasons why this form of tourism is getting more popular. Also the famous movie, Slumdog Millionaire, generated more interest in slum tourism, especially in India.
Travel motivation can be identified with four different drivers of motivation; physical, social, cultural and status factors. The studies about slum tourism have generated differing opinions on tourists travel motivations. Studies have revealed that tourists are genuinely attracted to see a different aspect on the travel destination. They want to experience the diversity and complexity of the location as well as see the living conditions of the residents of slums. Seeing poverty and misery are also stated as attracting factors. In addition, tourists are interested in creating their own opinions of slums, instead of believing everything that is said on the media. Other studies are suggesting that slum tourism is a form of voyeurism. Immoral voyeurism occurs when peoples travel motivations are questionable. Demeaning reasons could be such as selling pictures from the slum tours in order to achieve financial benefit, creating delightful party stories, or enjoy other people's poverty. This leads into the question about the ethics of this form of tourism. Is it ethical to visit slums in order to entertain ourselves? How would you feel if a tour bus would drive around your neighbourhood and tourists would take pictures of you while you're taking the garbage out? The problem is that the residents of the slums have not been consulted, how they feel about tour busses invading their local area. Even if the tourists had sincere motives to visit the slum, how do the inhabitants feel? Do they feel demeaned by people staring at their daily routines?
Before taking the slum tour, people are expecting to see poverty, misery, crime and more over poor infrastructure, education and living conditions. However, after taking the tour, the tourists have more positive perceptions about slums. As an example, in Dharavi slum in Mumbai is described surprisingly well maintained, moreover, the infrastructure and technology is relatively functional Even one third of the slum tour visitors found living conditions acceptable as some of the visitors expected the residents to live in tents and huts. The inhabitants of the slums are described as friendly, happy, full of hope and extremely hardworking. In addition, the low crime rates of Dharavi slum were surprising for the visitors.
As a conclusion, the tourists visiting slums have more diverse reasons to visit slums than people would originally consider. Are tours to slums voyeurism or just genuine interest in people's lives in slums? The questionnaires and studies suggest that these tours are taken mostly due to genuine interest in the destinations diversity, slums living conditions and experiencing whether the image in the media is similar to the reality or not. Moreover, the people are also curious to see misery and poverty. Probably, the tourists do not even consider that the residents of slums would feel demeaned by the tours. The travel motivations of the tourists and feelings of the locals need to meet in order for both parties to have an equal experience.
Bibliography:
Manfred, R. (2009) Poverty tourism: theoretical reflections and empirical
findings regarding an extraordinary form of tourism, Geojournal 75 421-422
Meschkank, J. (2010) Investigations into slum tourism in Mumbai: poverty tourism and the tensions between different constructions of reality, GeoJournal, 76 (1) 47
Outterson, K. & Selinger, E. (2009) The Ethics of Poverty Tourism. Boston Univ. School of Law Working Paper, 09-29
The first slum tours were a leisure-time activity for upper classes and it took place in the poorer parts of Victorian London. Around one century later, the slum tours took place in Harlem, New York. Nowadays, slum tourism takes place in the poorer areas of global south, in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Manila, Nairobi, Mexico City and Mumbai. Slum tourism is becoming more popular each year, as an example, in Dharavi slum, in Mumbai, India the development of slum visitors is increasing rapidly. As an example, in 2008, the amount of visitors was 3150 and by the end of year 2010, the amount of visitors had increased up to 7000 visitors. Slum tourism is the very popular in Rio de Janeiro favelas, where 40 000 tourists visit each year. However, the largest amount of tourists visit townships in Cape Town, where up to 300 000 tourists visit each year.
Some people perceive slum tours as negative form of tourism. Rich people sit in air-conditioned couches and observe poverty. Even though, these tours have negative ring to it, the demand is growing. As the interest in slum tourism is increasing, arises the question, what are the motivations for tourists to participate on these tours? Is it a desire to explore different side of the travel destination? Is it even voyeurism? Medias increased interest in slum tourism is one of the main reasons why this form of tourism is getting more popular. Also the famous movie, Slumdog Millionaire, generated more interest in slum tourism, especially in India.
Travel motivation can be identified with four different drivers of motivation; physical, social, cultural and status factors. The studies about slum tourism have generated differing opinions on tourists travel motivations. Studies have revealed that tourists are genuinely attracted to see a different aspect on the travel destination. They want to experience the diversity and complexity of the location as well as see the living conditions of the residents of slums. Seeing poverty and misery are also stated as attracting factors. In addition, tourists are interested in creating their own opinions of slums, instead of believing everything that is said on the media. Other studies are suggesting that slum tourism is a form of voyeurism. Immoral voyeurism occurs when peoples travel motivations are questionable. Demeaning reasons could be such as selling pictures from the slum tours in order to achieve financial benefit, creating delightful party stories, or enjoy other people's poverty. This leads into the question about the ethics of this form of tourism. Is it ethical to visit slums in order to entertain ourselves? How would you feel if a tour bus would drive around your neighbourhood and tourists would take pictures of you while you're taking the garbage out? The problem is that the residents of the slums have not been consulted, how they feel about tour busses invading their local area. Even if the tourists had sincere motives to visit the slum, how do the inhabitants feel? Do they feel demeaned by people staring at their daily routines?
Before taking the slum tour, people are expecting to see poverty, misery, crime and more over poor infrastructure, education and living conditions. However, after taking the tour, the tourists have more positive perceptions about slums. As an example, in Dharavi slum in Mumbai is described surprisingly well maintained, moreover, the infrastructure and technology is relatively functional Even one third of the slum tour visitors found living conditions acceptable as some of the visitors expected the residents to live in tents and huts. The inhabitants of the slums are described as friendly, happy, full of hope and extremely hardworking. In addition, the low crime rates of Dharavi slum were surprising for the visitors.
As a conclusion, the tourists visiting slums have more diverse reasons to visit slums than people would originally consider. Are tours to slums voyeurism or just genuine interest in people's lives in slums? The questionnaires and studies suggest that these tours are taken mostly due to genuine interest in the destinations diversity, slums living conditions and experiencing whether the image in the media is similar to the reality or not. Moreover, the people are also curious to see misery and poverty. Probably, the tourists do not even consider that the residents of slums would feel demeaned by the tours. The travel motivations of the tourists and feelings of the locals need to meet in order for both parties to have an equal experience.
Bibliography:
Manfred, R. (2009) Poverty tourism: theoretical reflections and empirical
findings regarding an extraordinary form of tourism, Geojournal 75 421-422
Meschkank, J. (2010) Investigations into slum tourism in Mumbai: poverty tourism and the tensions between different constructions of reality, GeoJournal, 76 (1) 47
Outterson, K. & Selinger, E. (2009) The Ethics of Poverty Tourism. Boston Univ. School of Law Working Paper, 09-29