Business, Management and Poverty Reduction: A Role for Slum Tourism?

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether or not there could be a legitimate role in reducing extreme poverty and hunger for the mass tourist activity known as slum tourism. It describes the origins of both historical and contemporary slum tourism, and the views of critics and providers of the activity. Ethical issues, double standards among critics and academics, and guidelines for fair and responsible slum tourism are considered. The paper concludes that the activity should be considered as a viable way to help achieve the United Nations ’ first Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.