From Ghetto to Ghetto: Slum Tourism Around the World

While on vacation, some travelers want to keep it real.

 Some Countries Are Safer to Visit Than Others - Travel warnings are issued when the U.S. State Department finds that they may not be able to secure Americans’ safety or when the government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate. There are 35 countries on the U.S. travel warning list. Travelers should always check the list here prior to booking travel. (Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares)

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Slum Tourism - Although your idea of a vacation might call for staying as far away from the hood as possible, for some, there is big business in taking tourists with deep pockets down into the heart of some of the world’s most impoverished places. — Naeesa Aziz (Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares)

Reality Show - Whether called “slum tours,” “reality tours” or “poverty tours,” more and more travelers are interested in seeing the “real” parts of their foreign destination, beyond the manicured tourist traps they are expected to visit. While some call the practice exploitative and voyeuristic, others find the idea empowering for local residents who may profit from tourism.  (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Reality Show - Whether called “slum tours,” “reality tours” or “poverty tours,” more and more travelers are interested in seeing the “real” parts of their foreign destination, beyond the manicured tourist traps they are expected to visit. While some call the practice exploitative and voyeuristic, others find the idea empowering for local residents who may profit from tourism.  (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

South Africa Census Shows Racial Divide - New census figures from South Africa show that the income of white South African households is six times higher than Black households 18 years after the end of apartheid rule. (Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)

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Township Tourism — South Africa - South Africa’s impoverished townships are a big draw for tourists each year. Cape Town's tourism office estimates that nearly 320,000 foreign visitors visited townships last year and more than 80 percent of its 250 licensed tour operators offer such "cultural experiences."  (Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)

Photo By Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Down and Out in Dharavi, India - India’s city of Dharavi is home to what is called the country’s “largest slum” and is also the center of much of the poverty tourism in the country. Slum tourism purveyor Reality Tours and Travel boasts that a trip to Dharavi leaves you “with an enlightened sense of the purpose and determination that exists in the area.” (Photo: Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)

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Down and Out in Dharavi, India - India’s city of Dharavi is home to what is called the country’s “largest slum” and is also the center of much of the poverty tourism in the country. Slum tourism purveyor Reality Tours and Travel boasts that a trip to Dharavi leaves you “with an enlightened sense of the purpose and determination that exists in the area.” (Photo: Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)

Hidden Jakarta, Indonesia - The operators of Jakarta Hidden Tours call their venture “a new idea in the world to help poor people.”   (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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Hidden Jakarta, Indonesia - The operators of Jakarta Hidden Tours call their venture “a new idea in the world to help poor people.”   (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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Praise and Poverty, Harlem, New York City - Many churches in Harlem have struggled to deal with the influx of European tourists that flood their pews every weekend. The Harlem Your Way! Tours company advertises its tours by inviting visitors to “explore the exciting other side of New York!” (Photo: Naeesa Aziz/BET)

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Praise and Poverty, Harlem, New York City - Many churches in Harlem have struggled to deal with the influx of European tourists that flood their pews every weekend. The Harlem Your Way! Tours company advertises its tours by inviting visitors to “explore the exciting other side of New York!” (Photo: Naeesa Aziz/BET)

Roaches and Rats in Favela da Rocinha, Brazil - Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela, or slum, is visited by over 3,000 tourists per month. (Photo: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

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Roaches and Rats in Favela da Rocinha, Brazil - Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela, or slum, is visited by over 3,000 tourists per month. (Photo: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

Tour De Hood — Detroit - Operators of a Detroit bike tour called Tour De Hood take cyclists through the city’s depressed East Side.  (Photo: DETROIT-COMEBACK/ REUTERS/Rebecca Cook)

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Tour De Hood — Detroit - Operators of a Detroit bike tour called Tour De Hood take cyclists through the city’s depressed East Side.  (Photo: DETROIT-COMEBACK/ REUTERS/Rebecca Cook)

Photo By Photo: DETROIT-COMEBACK/ REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Kibera: The Friendly Slum — Kenya - Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum, dubbed “the friendliest slum in the world” by Kibera Tours, is a popular destination for poverty tourism in East Africa. Kenyan writer and former Kibera resident Kenny Odede recalled feeling like “a tiger in a cage” after having his picture snapped by a random tourist as a child.  (Photo: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

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Kibera: The Friendly Slum — Kenya - Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum, dubbed “the friendliest slum in the world” by Kibera Tours, is a popular destination for poverty tourism in East Africa. Kenyan writer and former Kibera resident Kenny Odede recalled feeling like “a tiger in a cage” after having his picture snapped by a random tourist as a child.  (Photo: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)