![]() Before you get offended we have no issues of calling things as they are in SA in terms of color you are either black, white or coloured. They do not get many white visitors in their community and are neglected and ignored by most of society. Rookie mistake I have learned over the years because it is actually often the other way around the visitors are the attraction often and are greeted, invited and welcomed by many. My experiences are that township tours or township based experiences like volunteering, either by walking with a tour guide, cycling through Soweto or volunteering at a project in these settings is a very sensitive but an incredibly valuable experience for all involved when this is done with real focus and clear guidelines.īack to the discussion however and the first mistake many make is to think that we go into a poor area (called townships in South Africa) to gawk at poverty and how sad the lives of these people are. For others this is frowned upon as ‘poverty tourism’ and something they feel you should not be doing as this is in their eyes abusing poverty for your own pleasure. I will share my opinion however of how I see this kind of tourism.įor some visitors these kinds of experiences are a hugely attractive opportunity to see a side of South Africa that represents everyday life for so many in this country. What is ethical and responsible when dealing with tours or experiences like this? A big question indeed where not 1 clear answer really does it. It is a subject that remains an ongoing discussion and should be addressed to on an ongoing basis. Working and living in South Africa for the last 11 years this subject comes up with many of our volunteers, visiting friend and family. While traveling we all have come across possibilities to visit the ‘other’ side of a country and see what is called the ‘real’ Africa for example.
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