The Poverty Jet Set - Latest Comments in Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Allen Murer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:01:41 -0000

Thanks for sharing your nice experience on travel; I love this article because I am very crazy person. Travel to a new place is not just enjoying moment for me, I think, we don’t have enough time to travel whole world. We need few more life to travel, to know the world .

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Portugal Holidays — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:10:00 -0000

Wonderful article, just added the site to my favorites. Thanks so much.

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

camelcase — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:17:32 -0000

From my travel experience, the most interesting travel locations are not the most common ones you can find.

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

blackmailismylife — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:31:38 -0000

Well, journalism and 'poverty tourism' are two very different things, right? As a casualty of late '90's identity politics, I find the whole notion of 'bearing witness' to be pretty insufferable and too voyeuristic to be nominally 'political.'

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Mark — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:28:51 -0000

Yeah, 'poverty tourism' doesn't exactly have a nice friendly ring to it. It reminds me of the ongoing debate about whether or not to go visit Burma. Many activists try to tell people not to go there because the money goes directly to supporting the despotic government. But does that mean you can't go and help support local economies? Or that you shouldn't go and witness the ills of that society and report back? Calling it exoticism is not really fair. I'd say going to the rain forests to find un-Westernized native tribes is worse.

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

blackmailismylife — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:34:18 -0000

I wouldn't want to live as close as I think you do to Finnegan's Wake. I've gotta say that 'poverty tourism' sounds like one of the most patronizing, exploitative things I can think of doing in the name of 'activism.' I mean, I'm sure it's done/said with best intentions, but it's exoticism and not much that would be identifiably 'political.'

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Mike — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:47:15 -0000

Great stuff, Mark.

We're actually in the process of writing a series on "dark tourism" at Vagabondish. This includes so-called "poverty tourism" and the interview you mention above will provide keen insight into that very topic. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Mark — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:56:09 -0000

You're welcome, Janelle. Most definitely. Me too. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Re: Poverty Travel with SquatterCity

Janelle — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:41:55 -0000

Thanks Mark! Some of my most profound travel experiences have happened when I've stepped outside the boundaries of tourist-centric locations and interacted with the real people pushed to the outskirts of town.