×
Home
2024 Conference
All Conferences
Instructions
TSVC | Tourism Students Virtual Conference

Slum Tourism the Ethical Issues: Host or not to Host

Slum Tourism the Ethical Issues: Host or not to Host
Author: Amjinder Kaur Sandhu
1 Commentries
Abstract

The paper demonstrates whether the local community and tourists should host or no to host towards slum tourism in the terms of is slum tourism popular in certain places? Examples will be illustrated and the writer will acknowledge own opinions towards this topic. As well as this discussion will aim to look at slum tourism in an ethical issues perspective.

Keywords: Slum Tourism, Tourists, Community, Ethical Issues

Do you know what slum tourism means and do you think slum tourism is popular in terms of a tourist attraction and are tourists determined to visit? Yet, the question also is does the reader reckon the community has been impacted and affected by travellers visiting?

Slum Tourism also known as poor tourism is a location where poor people live although tourists visit majority of these travellers are wealthy. Goodwin, (2014) also similarly stated “Slum Tourism involves relativity wealthy tourists visiting the slums where the poor live”. As well as Smith (2015) also stated “slum tourism is not just the location, but also the fact that it is the mayor of the town that is planning to organise the tours”. Nonetheless, Slum Tourism as a whole has been popular and tourists are interested to visit as Melik, (2012) stated “There is a growing trend for tourists to seek out poverty-blighted neighbourhoods when they go on holiday, to get a sense of real life for the poorest communities there”.

Noting the basis of Slum Tourism the Ethical issues can vary depending on the subject one is aiming for as there are various definitions towards ethical issues for instance travel matters, (2015) stated “Ethical tourism simply means tourism which benefits people and the environment in different destinations. It can also offer a better income to families living in the area, by sourcing products and services locally” Whereby another author stated “Ethical values are social products and people in different societies that may hold different values. While travellers do not act in the same way, ‘ego-tourists’, mostly concerned with their own self-development, make decisions based only on their moral values, which often do not coincide with those of people in developing countries” (Carbone, 2005, p.563). These two statements give both a positive and negative impacts towards Ethical Issues as the first statement mentioned the positives of ethics yet, on the other the statement discovered the values towards ethnics for instance relating to Slum Tourism it is an individual’s decision whether they want to experience slums or concern themselves with a developing countries. However, ethical issues in slum Tourism may also include Tourists visiting slums which could put an impact towards the locals community since one may feel intimated knowing the fact that traveller are visiting the area as a motive towards the site.

Yet other ethical issues towards Slum tourism may be influenced by media for instance Slumdog Millionaire as Dürr and Jaffe (2012) stated “Slumdog Millionaire, released in 2008, is just one of many movies representing urban poverty that fascinated a global audience. The movie provides exceptional insights and “virtual participation in lifeworld’s that are alien to most of the spectators”. As well as Ma, (2010) also stated in particular, films represent slum life including Slumdog Millionaire (Mumbai), City of God (Rio de Janiero), and District 9 (Johannesburg), have become international hits. Considering Dürr and Jaffe statement, it has proven that tourists have not reacted towards the slum perspective within the movie in a negative aspect yet since the movie Oscars, O’Neil, (2008) stated India; hotels actually advertise "slum tours"...” which may suggest India are proud of the poor areas and may not find the need to hide it from tourists this could be a positive aspect towards the locals as they are being treated equally as tourists have the opportunity to experience the slum life as well as wealthy areas. However, Mumbai tours is not the only country that promotes slums other countries also include slum tours seen as Turchik, (2013) mentioned Tours exist around the world in cities such as Mexico City, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro...” Taking this quote into consideration the authors have established that plenty of countries offer slum tours which also suggests that tourists do visit and are motivated towards this activity. This again could impact both the locals and tourists as, locally through the Maslow’s Hierarchy needs safety may impact the community as one may feel un-safe being around loads of tourists and the security needs although the poor may not have shelter one may feel as there place has be overtaken by tourists. Whereby tourists would be determined in the term of exploring slum locations as the theory of the travel career ladder explores how a tourist may visit a place for various of reasons depending on their need yet towards slum tourism the researcher believes majority of the tourists would be in the fulfilment needs as a visitor are in the need to experience the destination. Goeldner and Ritche (2009, p.261) stated Fulfilment is located at the higher end of the hierarchy that suggest the “need for self- actualization and need to flow experiences”.

Taken as a whole knowing the fact tourists do visit Slum Tourism is it right for wealthy tourists to visit the poor? In the writer opinions the researcher feels it is not right for tourists to visit as it could put an impact on the locals in the terms of the poor may be feel as tourists are taking advantage of them and may feel they are known as a “display piece” in other words the local community may feel as there area is an attraction. Yet some tourists may visit to experience how the poor live and may want to explore the difference between a wealthy and poor life.


Reference List

Goodwin, H. (2014) Slum tourism: poverty, power and ethics. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events [online]. 6(1) pp. 91-92 [Accessed 18 April 2015]. Available at: <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19407963.2013.867729#.VUD7e1RwZQs>.

Goeldner, R.C. and Ritchie, R.J. (2009) Tourism: Principles, Practices, philosophies.11th ed. Hoboken: Wiley.

Ma, B. (2010) A Trip into the Controversy: A Study of Slum Tourism Travel Motivations [online]. Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania. [Accessed 3 May 2015]. Available at: <http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=uhf_2010>.

Melik, J. (2012) BBC News: Slum tourism: Patronising or social enlightenment? [Online]. [Accessed 28 April 2015]. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19546792>.
Slum Tourism
Author: Ellis Todd
The reason for picking this abstract to use as my commentary is because of the interest that I have on the topic of slum tourism. However, the author has her own decisions on what she believes slum tourism is doing to these areas. Showing aspects of ego tourism, slum tourism and how this affects the locals and tourists in these affected areas. However, the author has referenced though out to shown how slum tourism is affecting the local community but also how to is helping benefit it.

On the other hand, the meaning of 'slum tourism' is discussed by the author 'Slum Tourism also known as poor tourism is a location where poor people live although tourists visit majority of these travellers are wealthy (Goodwin 2014)'. However it is also discussed how this has affected the local areas ethically 'ethical issues towards Slum tourism may be influenced by media for instance Slumdog Millionaire as Dürr and Jaffe (2012)'. By this being discussed it explains that films also have impact on what tourists do. Here film tourism could of been discussed as Slumdog Millionaire would be relevant to this situation.

On the other hand, even though film tourism hasn't been spoke about in this report, it does show that even though the area is a slum area. This is helping to gain more tourists to there country, as people want to come and visit these places and see how the other half lives in comparison to themselves. 'Slum tourism has its advocates, who say it promotes social awareness. And it’s good money, which helps the local economy (Odede, 2010)'. By tourists visiting these destination will make them appreciate life more.

Also, there has been no statistical information about the slum area throughout this abstract, this my because it has already included in the discussions paper. However, with the use of different references use though out of the abstract . However it focuses at the end that 'some tourists may visit to experience how the poor live and may want to explore the difference between a wealthy and poor life (Sanhu, 2015). By slum tourism being a natural everyday live for some people, this is showing that tourists want to experience how the other half lives.

Tourists are unaware of the poor poverty area that people live in. so this is making tourists want to go and visit so then they can see how the other half lives. But also by these tourists visiting the slum areas, it is also benefiting the tourism gross domestic product in those areas.However, I feel that the abstract could have been more focused on how much more money the slum tourism has helped benefit these areas.


Odede, K. (2010) Slumdog Tourism [e-journal] [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Available at: < http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/Discussion%20or%20Reflection%20Activity%20-%20Slumdog%20Tourism.pdf>.

Sandu, K, A. Slum Tourism the Ethical Issues: Host or not to Host[online] [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Avaiable at: < http://www.travel-conference.co.uk/commentries.php?paper=312#.VU-Zg_lViko >.