Our very own kennedy odede 12, executive director of shining hope for communities, a social services organization. The paper examines the role of slum tourism in poverty relief. Originally focused on the slums and ghettos of london and manhattan in the 19th century, slum tourism is now prominent in south africa, india, brazil, kenya, philippines, and the united states. This is an essay showing in detail the advantages and disadvantages of slum tourism, with regards to the social, economic and security development of the slum dwellers.
The target market for poverty tours primarily consists of international tourists. May 24, 20 kenyan student kennedy odede raised the issue of slum tourism in his home country in a 2010 oped for the new york times. The area is dotted with small businesses and recycling units, sitting alongside residential enclaves. She quotes kennedy odede, executive director of shining hope for communities in kibera who wrote an article on the subject for the new york times in 2010.
In 2014, over one million tourists visited a township, a. In a variety of locations around the world, slum tourism is now emerging as a niche form of tourism. Kennedy odede, slumdog tourism john luth, the positive spin on slum tourism. Impoverished urban areas have always enticed the popular imagination, considered to be places of otherness, moral decay, deviant liberty or authenticity. Aug 10, 2010 our very own kennedy odede 12, executive director of shining hope for communities, a social services organization, wrote an oped for the new york times about slum tourism in the kibera slums in nairobi, kenya. Slum tourism has been around since victorian times, when wealthy londoners trudged down to the east end for a view. Board and victoria safaris towards slum tourism, determine the benefits of slum tourism to kibera slum dwellers, establish measures to be taken to promote slum tourism in kibera and to determine the viability of slum tourism as a tourism product. These critiques are eloquently summed up by the quote above. Slum tourism has come under considerable intelligent criticism, including from kennedy odede and jamal osman. Minimal acknowledgement is given to the role of these areas as potential source regions for tourism. In 2004, he founded shining hope with twenty cents and a soccer ball. He attacks slum tourism, suggesting, essentially that it treats the poorest people like zoo animalssubjects for outsiders. Pdf this article provides a view on the stateoftheart literature on slum tourism.
Slum tourism, also sometimes referred to as ghetto tourism, involves tourism to impoverished areas, particularly in india, brazil, kenya, and indonesia. Slum tourism is a globalizing trend and a controversial form of tourism. Ppt slum tourism has a long history odede, 2010, p. Slum tourism is defined as the practice of travelers visiting poor urban areas of the global south to view its impoverished conditions and understand more of the lifestyles of local inhabitants. Aug 11, 2010 that is kennedy odede, a kenyan studying in the us, rightfully outraged about slum tourism. Mar 15, 2016 the contemporary concept of slum tourism dates back about 30 years, according to ko koens, ph. In the ethical debates on slum tourism, its apparent economic benefit is most frequently evoked. Whether called a township, a favela, a barrio, a slum, a shantytown, or a ghetto, outsiders recreationally. Slum tourism is not a new phenomenon, although much has changed since its beginning. Reality tours and travels a collage of pictures from dharavi by reality tours and travels which. The aim is to contribute towards a reframing of scholarship on slum tourism by directing attention to the phenomenon of tourism development oc. Mar 05, 2018 slum tourism is when travelers visit poor areas of the global south to view the impoverished conditions of local inhabitants. That is kennedy odede, a kenyan studying in the us, rightfully outraged about slum tourism.
Mainstream scholarship in slum tourism is dominated by research which investigates urban slums as destinations for international travellers mainly from the global north. This article provides a view on the stateoftheart literature on slum tourism. To do so, it surveys the stateoftheart literature on tourism and poverty and investigates the ways in which slum tourism research. Inside the very real world of slum tourism conde nast. Responses to an oped about the effects of slum tourism. He describes seeing his first slum tour at the age of 16 from outside his 100 square food home. Slum tourism has a long history during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy new. Poorism is observed in the field of marketing through one main concept. Slumming was added to the oxford english dictionary.
The rights and wrongs of slum tourism india real time wsj. Jul 27, 2017 slum tourism is a worldwide travel trend thats growing right alongside the worlds exploding urban populations. Slum tourism can be understood against the background of transformations in tourism. All in favor of the reallife set of slumdog millionaire becoming a tourist attraction, say yay. He likened the experience of being photographed by a white woman on the tour as a tiger in a cage. Kennedy is right, of course, but more critical than constructive. At times homeless, hungry, and unable to find work, he transformed his frustrations into opportunity. But for how long will members of the new generation of urban poor soon the majority in developing countries allow themselves to be. To mumbai dwellers, especially expatriates, the concept of slum tourism, poverty tourism, poorism or simply slumming it needs no introduction. There are groups of tourists thronging the slums to enjoy the socalled slum tourism.
Impact of slum tourism to slums nature and change, language. The wesleyan argus kennedy odede 12, on slum tourism for. Following academic, policy and media critiques of the social, cultural and environmental impacts of mass tourism, and in the context of more individualized oostfordist tourist desires, a set of socalled new tourisms emerged mowforth. On the one hand, proponents of poverty tourism argue that this form of tourism can contribute to a change in the representation of the slums and its people and that slum tourism is a legitimate way to fight poverty. This must be a pet issue of one of the editors helene cooper. Every day, thousands of people arrive in africas cities seeking a better life, only to realize that they must raise their children in a slum. The end of apartheid in south africa fueled a more politicallyoriented type of township tour while rocinha has been receiving tourists for years some 50,000 a year now.
On tour with the slum tourists in kenya channel 4 news. Slum tourism in india,famous slum tours in mumbai,dharavi. Slum tourism, poverty tourism, or ghetto tourism is a type of city tourism that involves visiting impoverished areas. Kennedy odede, a kenyan, wrote in the new york times op ed section, they get photos. But what is interesting to note is that behind these closed doors lie some of the most aspiring minds pursuing small scale businesses. It points to the rapid growth of slum tourism research in recent. There are many tours and trips conducted to this slum dwellings, almost catering 50 tourists a month. The point was that this is a slum and it faces all the same problems as other slums. Type i and type ii, are the two types of ratio multipliers. Slum tourism is a worldwide travel trend thats growing right alongside the worlds exploding urban populations. Slum tourism typically involves ex cursions to the impoverished. Kenyan student kennedy odede raised the issue of slum tourism in his home country in a 2010 oped for the new york times. Essay from the year 20 in the subject tourism, grade.
Despite the growing popularity of slum tours there is much criticism and controversy in relation to this form of tourism. Slum tourism is an expanding domain of research focused on organized tours to poorer areas of cities in the global south, such as south africas urban townships. Pdf the cinematographic unconscious of slum voyeurism. Poorism as a global trend in the field of marketing. Many negative accounts of slum tourism focus on the distance that photographs put between the tourist and the subject. Ko koens, lecturer at breda university of applied sciences in the netherlands describes what this.
As someone who once lived in a slum that is now highly toured, kennedy odede shared his story with the new york times. Whether called a township, a favela, a barrio, a slum, a shantytown, or a ghetto, outsiders recreationally visiting these typically impoverished places is nothing new. During the height of kenyas julyaugust tourist season, tens of thousands of travelers from around the world come here for wildlife safaris and pristine indian ocean beaches. In it, he bluntly talks about the delicate topic of what happens when tourism comes to. The world discovered dharavi because of the movie slumdog millionaire. As someone who once lived in a slum that is now highly toured, kennedy odede. Later, i discovered that slum tours in india are often organized and can cost. Tours provide an opportunity to understand that these hill communities are vibrant communities, not just drug.
Similar to regular tourism, poorism has its high and low seasons of incoming tourists as well. Slum tourism in the context of the tourism and poverty relief debate and support slum tourism as a development strategy. Slum tourism, a personal view by david pesci august 10, 2010. The goal of the described research was to examine the thoughts and feelings of inhabitants about the presence of slum tourism in their neighborhoods and to better understand the positive and negative aspects of tourism. Slum tourism the good, the bad, and the ugly aid leap. The slum tourism of mumbai paves the way for the curious tourists from all over the world to know and explore the life of people living here, that is full of struggle for existence but still make them happy. With an average income of less than a pound a day, it is one of the poorest parts of kenya a. Kennedy odede, the executive director of shining hope for. Pdf poverty alleviation has been given high priority on the agendas of. Aug 10, 2014 despite the growing popularity of slum tours there is much criticism and controversy in relation to this form of tourism.
According to its website, reality tours goal is to show that dharavi isnt just about poverty and hardship, but about enterprise, humour and nonstop activity. A wide range of disciplines have dealt with the phenomenon and it has been discussed from a variety of theoretical angles. Odede kennedy, 2010, slumdog tourism, wesleyan university. Our very own kennedy odede 12, executive director of shining hope for communities, a social services organization, wrote an oped for the new york times about slum tourism in the kibera slums in nairobi, kenya. The academic field of slum tourism research is comprised primarily of case studies. The purpose of slum tourism is to provide tourists the opportunity to see the nontouristy areas of a country or city. Slum tourism is a growing topic in international tourism scholarship. Slum tourism is one of the fastestgrowing niche tourism segments in the world, but it is also one of the most controversial. Part of the reason behind cartagenas increasing tourism is a phenomenon known as slum tourism.
Slum tourism involves transforming poverty, squalor and violence into a tourism product. Philanthropic travel or organised exploitation of poverty. Africas urban challenge by kennedy odede project syndicate. Edited by fabian frenzel, ko koens and malte steinbrink, it contains both theoretically oriented papers papers as well as more practical case study examples of slum tourism of seven different countries on four continent. The current market for poorism is continuously booming selinger 2. Slum tourism has a long history during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy new yorkers snaked along the bowery and through the lower. I was a slum tourist, paying to see areas of intense poverty. A guided tour of mumbais teeming dharavi slum raises moral questions for visitors welcome to dharavi, the biggest slum in asia.
Mar 05, 2018 today i would like to focus on the topic of slum tourism in south africa, also known as township tourism. He attacks slum tourism, suggesting, essentially that it treats the poorest people like zoo animalssubjects for. Let me begin by saying i have engaged in slum tourism a basic definition of slum tourism would be the kind of tourism that takes you to see impoverished communities i took a soweto tour during a longago visit to south africa, to see a place that overflowed with meaning. But with urban populations in the developing world expanding rapidly, the opportunity and. Last week a new book on slum tourism was published by routledge publications. Apr 10, 2014 the paper examines the role of slum tourism in poverty relief. Sep 24, 2012 the area is dotted with small businesses and recycling units, sitting alongside residential enclaves. Slumdog tourism kennedy odede, the new york times, april 2010.
Slum tourism takes place largely as three to fourhour guided tours, but recent years have shown a remarkable diversification of tourism activities. Slumdog tourism by kennedy odede nairobi, kenya slum tourism has a long history during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy new yorkers snaked along the bowery and through the lower east side to see how the other half lives. Writing for the new york times oped page, kennedy odede 12, a resident kibera, kenya, the worst slum in nairobi, discusses the phenomenon of people from developed countries treating slums as curious tourists destinations. The wesleyan argus kennedy odede 12, on slum tourism. He attacks slum tourism, suggesting, essentially that it treats the poorest people like zoo animalssubjects for outsiders to visit and. Write an essay 150200 words in which you discuss if slum tourism and tourism in general contribute to greater understanding and tolerance in the world.
Slumdog tourism by kennedy odede, nairobi, kenya the new york times, august 9, 2010 slum tourism has a long history during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy new yorkers snaked along the bowery and through the lower east side to see how the other half lives. Mar 28, 2014 part of the reason behind cartagenas increasing tourism is a phenomenon known as slum tourism. It points to the rapid growth of slum tourism research in recent years and highlights the main avenues that. Drawing on both altruism and voyeurism, this form of tourism is a complex phenomenon that raises various questions concerning power, inequality and subjectivity. The exploratory and descriptive survey research design was used. This essay seeks to advance the theoretical debate on slum tourism research and to stimulate. In mumbai, tours of the sprawling slum dharavi skyrocketed in popularity after.
Slum tourism, poverty tourism, or ghetto tourism is a type of city tourism that involves visiting. Slum tourism takes place in vans and jeeps, but also as walking tours or on bikes. Dharavi has become a centre of attraction after the success of slumdog millionaire. Slum tourism of brazils favelas is encouraged by the federal government. Slum tourism research has proven to be undisciplined, much like tourism research in general tribe 1997. In this ar gument, slum tourism proponents tap into the claim that tourism can be a solution to underdevelopment. Slumming was added to the oxford english dictionary in the 1860s, meaning to go into, or frequent. A case study on india catalina gomez december 4, 20 collst 499. The oscarwinning film increased demand for companies organizing guided tours into asias biggest slum. The construction of public history and tourism destinations in cape towns townships.
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