Slumming it? Township tour reviews 'gloss over poverty'

Wealthy visitors to South African slums' are understating hardships faced by residents in reviews on Tripadvisor

Is it time to rethink slum tourism"? Researchers at the University of Bath believe the answer is a resounding yes. They claim that foreign visitors are glossing over the hardships of those living in poor areas with well-meaning attempts to portray their inhabitants in a positive light.

The researchers analysed more than 400 Tripadvisor reviews for two townships outside Cape Town in South Africa regularly referred to as slums". They found that visitors to Langa and Imizamo Yethu underplayed the daily challenges facing people living there.