Poverty tourism

Poverty tourism or poorism [ [http://www.wordspy.com/words/poorism.asp "Poorism"] from WordSpy] is a type of tourism, much akin to slumming, in which tourists travel to less developed places to observe people living in poverty. [ [http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2007/march/presence.php "Next Stop, Squalor"] , by John Lancaster from "Smithsonian Magazine", March 2007.] Poorism travel tours are popular in places like India, Ethiopia, and even places that have had natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis. After Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana became a big poorism site.

Critics say poorism is likened to a kind of voyeurism, exploiting people less fortunate, snapping pictures and leaving nothing in return. Some poorism tours do use portions of the profits to help out however.

ee also

*Dark tourism

References

External links

* [http://blogs.wsj.com/informedreader/2007/03/15/poorism-comes-to-mumbai/ Wall Street Journal]
* [http://www.poorism.com/ Poorism.com]
* [http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2006/may/07/delhi.india.ethicalliving Guardian on poorism]
* [http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/08/poorism_tourism_in_s.html "Tours through India"]
* [http://www.gadling.com/2007/02/26/poorism-in-india/ "Poorism" in India - Gadling]