Poverty Tourism: a Question of Ethics?
Poverty Tourism. A Question of Ethics?
Abstract
Poverty tourism is a modern form of tourism, where tourists travel to less developed places to observe the lives of impoverished and disadvantaged communities, typically located in the Third World. While experience seeking has emerged as a popular form of new tourism, it is necessary to ask the question of whether exercises such as poverty tourism are ethical. The purpose of this paper is to explore the conflicting paradigms of poverty tourism. Giving the reader a full understanding of poverty tourism and it’s effects on all parties involved, both positive and negative, and then speculate about the future of poverty tourism, and choices of tourists. This will be achieved by analysing the ethical issues associated with poverty tourism such as voyeurism, the demise of culture, unequal distribution of profit, the issue of control and management of poverty tourism as well as the possible benefits of this activity. Based on research and findings, the paper will also speculate the future of the poverty tourism and the sustainability of Third World tourism. With the use of credible authors and professionals in the field of tourism and poverty tourism, and the writer’s own personal experiences with poverty tourism and Third World tourism, the journal article concludes that the future of poverty tourism is dependent on the ability of stakeholders to efficiently manage the practice and ethical tourist behavior.
Literature Review
Poverty tourism is a modern form of tourism, where tourists travel to less developed places to observe the lives of impoverished and disadvantaged communities, typically located in the Third World. While experience seeking has emerged as a popular form of new tourism, it is necessary to ask the question of whether exercises such as poverty tourism are ethical. Is it demeaning to the inhabitants of these now famed slums to be perceived as attractions and ‘must-see’ sights? Is it moral to
Abstract
Poverty tourism is a modern form of tourism, where tourists travel to less developed places to observe the lives of impoverished and disadvantaged communities, typically located in the Third World. While experience seeking has emerged as a popular form of new tourism, it is necessary to ask the question of whether exercises such as poverty tourism are ethical. The purpose of this paper is to explore the conflicting paradigms of poverty tourism. Giving the reader a full understanding of poverty tourism and it’s effects on all parties involved, both positive and negative, and then speculate about the future of poverty tourism, and choices of tourists. This will be achieved by analysing the ethical issues associated with poverty tourism such as voyeurism, the demise of culture, unequal distribution of profit, the issue of control and management of poverty tourism as well as the possible benefits of this activity. Based on research and findings, the paper will also speculate the future of the poverty tourism and the sustainability of Third World tourism. With the use of credible authors and professionals in the field of tourism and poverty tourism, and the writer’s own personal experiences with poverty tourism and Third World tourism, the journal article concludes that the future of poverty tourism is dependent on the ability of stakeholders to efficiently manage the practice and ethical tourist behavior.
Literature Review
Poverty tourism is a modern form of tourism, where tourists travel to less developed places to observe the lives of impoverished and disadvantaged communities, typically located in the Third World. While experience seeking has emerged as a popular form of new tourism, it is necessary to ask the question of whether exercises such as poverty tourism are ethical. Is it demeaning to the inhabitants of these now famed slums to be perceived as attractions and ‘must-see’ sights? Is it moral to