Explorations in Slum Tourism: A New Perspective to the Contemporary Understanding

Blakeman, Stephanie

4. term

Tourism, Master

2015

2015-01-05

Slumturisme – besøg i lavindkomstområder for at lære om hverdagsliv – er vokset og skaber debat. Dette projekt undersøger, hvordan slumturisme tilrettelægges og præsenteres af dem, der producerer oplevelsen. Det sammenligner indsigter fra tidligere studier i Kibera i Nairobi, Kenya, med et nyt casestudie i fattigdomsramte områder i Filippinerne. Projektet bruger en kvalitativ, eksplorativ tilgang inspireret af grounded theory, dvs. at begreber udvikles ud fra indsamlede data snarere end at teste en fast hypotese. Det filippinske casestudie omfatter feltarbejde med Smokey Mountain Tours (SMT), der arrangerer ture i området Smokey Mountain; to sociale virksomheder, Mabuhay Restop og Futkalero; samt observationer indsamlet under et politiledsaget besøg i den oprindelige Smokey Mountain-slum. Filippinerne er kun i ringe grad behandlet i slumturismeforskningen, og projektet udfylder derfor et hul i litteraturen. Samtidig peger det på, at den eksisterende forskning ofte overgeneralisere, og at mediernes debat bygger på stereotyper og fremstiller slumturisme som kontroversiel underholdning. Afhandlingen problematiserer gængse termer og praksisser, diskuterer modsætninger og det, der ofte forbigås. Den viser, at slumturisme omfatter forskellige organisationer i forskellige sammenhænge, men med beslægtede formål: at give turister en lærerig oplevelse og skabe sociale virkninger for lokale beboere. Studiet anbefaler besøg, når de gennemføres ansvarligt, og understreger behovet for en mellemmand – fx en lokal guide eller organisation – der kan bygge bro mellem besøgende og beboere.

Slum tourism—visiting low-income neighborhoods to learn about everyday life—has grown and sparked debate. This project looks at how slum tourism is organized and presented by those who produce these experiences. It compares insights from earlier studies in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, with a new case study in poverty-affected areas in the Philippines. The study uses a qualitative, exploratory approach guided by grounded theory, meaning that concepts are built from the data collected rather than testing a fixed hypothesis. The Philippine case includes fieldwork with Smokey Mountain Tours (SMT), which runs tours in the Smokey Mountain area; two social enterprises, Mabuhay Restop and Futkalero; and observations gathered during a police-escorted visit to the original Smokey Mountain slum. The Philippines context has been little studied in slum tourism, so this project fills a gap in the literature. It also notes that current scholarship is limited and often overgeneralizes, while media debates rely on stereotypes and portray slum tourism as a controversial pastime. The thesis questions common terms and practices, discussing contradictions and what tends to be left unsaid. It finds that slum tourism involves varied organizations working in different settings but often motivated by similar aims: to offer tourists an educational experience and to create social benefits for local residents. The study supports visits when done responsibly and emphasizes the need for a mediator—such as a local guide or organization—who can bridge between visitors and residents.

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