Slum Tourism, Poverty Tourism, and the Ethics of Looking
The first time I encountered what’s often labelled poverty tourism wasn’t in India, but in Soweto. That visit stayed with me — not because it was shocking, but because it raised questions I didn’t yet have the language for.
Visiting Dharavi a few years later brought those questions back into focus. This time, I paid closer attention — not just to what I was seeing, but to how I was seeing it, why I was there, and what responsibility comes with that choice.
Slum tourism divides opinion, often fiercely. Some see it as exploitative voyeurism. Others see it as education, awareness, or even a form of solidarity. As with many things in travel — and in life — the truth sits uncomfortably somewhere in between.
What do we mean by slum or poverty tourism?
Broadly speaking, slum or poverty tourism refers to visiting low-income or informal settlements as part of an organised tour or guided experience. It isn’t new. Variations of it existed in Victorian England, where wealthy Londoners toured deprived neighbourhoods out of curiosity or moral concern.
Today, it appears in many forms: township tours, favela walks, visits to informal settlements — often framed as cultural, educational, or socially conscious experiences.
The language alone is loaded. “Slum” and “poverty” reduce places and people to a single condition, flattening complexity into a headline. That discomfort is a good place to start.
The arguments in favour
Supporters of these visits often point to several potential benefits:
Economic opportunity for local guides and small community-led businesses
Education and awareness for visitors who might otherwise never encounter these realities
Humanising narratives that challenge stereotypes and assumptions
Community-led models, particularly when tours are run by residents themselves
In some cases, these visits genuinely do redirect money and attention into communities that are otherwise ignored or misrepresented.
The arguments against
The criticisms, however, are serious and should not be dismissed lightly:
Voyeurism — turning people’s lives into something to be observed
Power imbalance — visitors can leave; residents cannot
Photography and social media exploitation, often without consent
Profit leakage, where tour operators or authorities benefit more than the communities
Reinforcement of stereotypes, especially when only hardship is shown
Perhaps the most troubling concern is that such visits risk turning poverty into an experience — something to be consumed, processed, and moved on from.
Intent versus impact
Many travellers go with good intentions. They want to learn. They want to understand. They want to “see the real place”.
But intent does not cancel out impact.
The ethical question is not simply why we go, but what happens because we go. Who benefits? Who decides what is shown? Who controls the narrative? And who bears the emotional cost of being observed?
Does how you do it matter?
I believe it does — though it doesn’t resolve everything.
Being guided by someone who lives in the community matters. It shifts authority, at least slightly. It allows for context, correction, and refusal. It means there is someone who can say: not here, not now, not like that.
But even then, the imbalance remains. You still leave. They still stay.
Ethical travel isn’t about achieving purity. It’s about recognising compromise and being honest about it.
The question of consent
Consent in this context is complicated.
A guide can consent. A workshop owner can consent. But what about the child playing in an alley? The family eating dinner? The woman working in a space that doubles as her home?
Just because something is visible does not mean it is offered.
This is where responsibility shifts back to the visitor — to look carefully, to restrain curiosity, and to understand that not everything that can be seen should be recorded or shared.
What stayed with me
What struck me most during my visit to Dharavi wasn’t misery. It was ordinariness. People working, laughing, celebrating, arguing, living.
Poverty was present — undeniably so — but it wasn’t the only story. And perhaps that is where ethical storytelling begins: refusing to let hardship become the sole defining feature of a place.
So… should we do it?
I don’t have a definitive answer. And I’m wary of anyone who claims to.
For some, choosing not to go will feel like the most ethical decision. For others, going — carefully, humbly, and reflectively — may open conversations that matter.
My mind is still not fully made up. In fact, it changes depending on the situation. On our recent trip around South America, both Mark and I declined to tour a silver mine in Potosi, Bolivia, where miners are paid very little and have a life expectancy of just 40. Something didn't sit right with us. The tour began with a short stop at the miner's market, where visitors are encouraged to buy gifts for those working underground. These gifts include cigarettes and dynamite! So, we didn't go, but many in our group did. Most of them felt that they'd learned a lot by seeing for themselves the terrible conditions people have to work in.
In the end, the decision to go or not to go is yours to make.
What feels important to me is this:
To resist consuming poverty as an experience
To avoid centring ourselves in stories that aren’t about us
To be honest about discomfort rather than smoothing it over
To sit with the questions rather than rushing to resolution
Ethical travel is rarely comfortable. But perhaps discomfort, handled with care, is where learning begins.
Final note to readers
If you’ve read this alongside my earlier post about visiting Dharavi, you may still feel uncertain — and that’s okay. I certainly do.
Rather than telling you what to think, I hope these reflections simply invite you to pause, question, and examine your own instincts as a traveller.
Sometimes, the most responsible thing we can do is not to arrive with answers, but to leave with better questions.
Watch this video for more about slum tourism
Use this checklist if you are thinking about slum or poverty tourism:
If you’re considering a visit:
Go with a local guide who actually lives in the community. This isn’t optional — it’s essential.
Choose an ethical operator (I advise booking through GetYourGuide, filtering specifically for locally led tours).
Expect to feel uncomfortable at times. That discomfort is part of the experience — don’t rush to smooth it away.
While you’re there:
Follow your guide’s lead at all times - where to walk, where to stand, what to avoid.
Ask before taking photos and accept that many areas, especially residential ones, are off-limits.
Dress simply and respectfully - nothing flashy or attention-grabbing.
Wear closed shoes - no sandals or flip-flops, so you don't need to worry about what you're treading in.
Don’t give money or gifts. Nobody usually asks for any, and it can do more harm than good.
Only buy things you need (water or snacks, for example) - shops serve local needs, not tourism.
Listen more than you speak. This isn’t a place to perform empathy.
Afterwards:
Reflect before you post on social media.
Avoid sensational language or images.
Ask yourself: Who does my storytelling benefit?
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