Travelling in countries where much of the local population is poor and deprived.

I wonder if any travellers also felt the same way after visiting an impoverished country.

Yeah, it makes me realise what a luxury it is to come from a country with a high standard of living and a decent standard of human rights, while people living around me who have even more than I do are feeling deprived. Reply to this

Hi,

A lot of countires are putting it the simple way...tourism bring employment...employment reduce poverty. Now the point is what a tourist bring in a country. If you travel all over India on less than 10usd a day, you bring a lot less to the country. It is the same issue with some all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica. They don't bring as much because people stay only in the resort.

But for many countries, poverty would be way wider if tourists did stop to come. Reply to this

If you travel all over India on less than 10usd a day, you bring a lot less to the country. It is the same issue with some all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica. They don't bring as much because people stay only in the resort.

If we think only in terms of numbers with dollar and pound signs in front of them as a way to bring something to a country, I suppose that is true. Reply to this

Simple question, what would do the people of Sri Lanka, Maldives, Kenya, etc without tourism...none of this place is less than 3 hours from a wealthy place...

What is your friends answer, when you ask this question? Reply to this

2 posts deleted. 2 accounts deleted. 2 URLs blacklisted. No spamming on these forums.


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I lived for a long time in poverty (under $1 a day) and I view things differently.

Where were you living at that time, Fiona?

Whenever I travel I leave something of my own there. Travelling is an expression of helping and understanding others, so whenever I travel for passion, I contribute to the well being of locals.

I try to do that as much as I can too when I am visiting a place where there are a lot of very poor people. I dont leave lots of money, but do little things like buying lunch for a beggar on the street while I am having lunch, or give away my daughters too small clothes. My boyfriend doesnt see the point of it, but I think that every nice thing we do means something to somebody even if it doesnt bring world peace or stop famines etc.

Just out of interest, what do you contribute to the locals? Reply to this

1 posts merged into this topic from: Materialism. Reply to this

I agree totally with Mel! And second point, I don't travel cheaply for pride, I travel cheaply because I don't have much money (my own fault, I only earn as much as I think I will need for the next period of travel), but still love to travel.

Budget travellers on the whole I would say bring more to a country than the super rich or even the modestly rich tourists. We stay in homestays, eat in road side shacks, buy at markets, take cycle rickshaws, buses (often small family businesses) and if neccesary hire a local kid to show us around some place. On top of that quite a few of us go to places that would otherwise not see any tourism or money: of the beaten track, not developed, without tourist infrastructure and more. Being on a budget doesn't mean depriving the local population of income. Just because I know what things should cost doesn't mean I don't spend money. I bargain yes, but bargaining to me is both sides being happy, not just me. Ten dollars a day is a shit load of money in India, where the average income is less than 2 dollars a day. Whereas a budget traveller spreads his wealth more, perhaps a wealthy tourist puts a lot of money in certain spots. Also fine, but no better or worse than what I do. I spend 4000 pounds in 10 month over a huge area, somebody else spends it in one hotel, on one beach at one bar. Which is better? Do you know? Do I know?

You seem to mistake good budget management with being stingy towards everybody else. I vary my budget according to the country. In Thailand I might need to spend much more than 10 dollars a day, I don't know. In India, I don't need to. I could spend twenty dollars a day, by buying beers every evening and eating in slightly fancier restaurants or staying in slightly fancier hotels. I'm not sure how that will help the local population though.

Is volunteering always such a positive imprint? I can imagine that it takes away jobs from locals, why pay for a local when you can get a paying volunteer to do the same job, and they will feel good about it as well! Believe me there are lots of pros and cons to that subject too. Helping a local community? Doesn't eating or staying with a local family help the local community? Or does it have to be putting up some school or clinic in the village? Does that count for more?

I don't travel to save the world, neither do I travel to brag about it to other people. I don't travel to make poor people more poor, but I don't feel responsible for their situation either. I feel empathy and I find it terrible, and perhaps by going around and spending the little money I have on a meal in a local restaurant(which saves me money and gives them a little extra which they might not have got if I hadn't stumbled by looking for a cheap place to eat), I help somewhat, but I have no illusions to my impact on the poverty of this planet.

If I have an accident I have an insurance and I won't be a burden to anybody.

Last but not least: Yes, I travel for my pleasure and I do it on a budget, but I don't hurt anybody with it. The world isn't worse of because of it (as far as I know... Well maybe it is, pollution wise), I pay for my own travels and I enjoy it. I don't kill, I don't steal, I don't live of benefits, I am no pedophile, I respect and try to learn from other culture. What is the problem?

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I don't travel to save the world, neither do I travel to brag about it to other people. I don't travel to make poor people more poor, but I don't feel responsible for their situation either.

Ireland(where I come from) used to be a very poor country and I am aware that because of various factors it is no longer poor. When I visit countries where wealth is unfairly distributed, I am aware that those who are poor and deprived and under the thumb of cruel governments could have been me if I was not lucky enough to be born in the time I was so I can experience Ireland as a wealthy country that allowes me to join in the luxurious experience of travelling around the world like all those others who were born in wealthy countries with a fairly healthy political system. I often hope when I am in certain countries that the children or grandchildren of those I see there will experience a better political situation in their country than they themselves are experiencing. How much poverty the people of certain countries experience often has a lot to do with a current unfair political situation in the country. Often, not everybody in the country is poor. Often many are desperately poor, while a small percentage are obscenely rich. And do the rich get their wealth by fair means, and is that the fault of how much the tourists do or dont spend? I think it rarely is. Money is only as good as the hands it is in. If there is a faschist government that has no interest in being fair, then people will remain poor, no matter how much money we spend on our holiday there. Reply to this

Hi Ralf and Mell,

Ralf, I appreciate your point and agree with a lot of things you are saying. The point of the health insurance is more than an important one. Mell, to your answer, it has nothing to do with being human or not. In most places in Asia, you pay first to get medical care....even if it is an emergency. This is a sad reality, but it's still one. So if you don't front the money, or do not have a cover, as Ralf does, you are a burden. In China, if you need your leg to be operated...and cannot pay...they don't let you in the street, they simply cut your leg...while it could have been save with a nice operation. That's a sad reality.

I do not make any critics on people on budget. That's not the point I was making. If an average income is less than 2 usd a day, 10 usd is not a lot. Because you are on the move, and therefore prices are not the same. A room charge for a day is not the same as the per day price you would pay to live in the same place for a year.

The point I do is share by a lot of people all around Asia where I live, and I speak of locals. If you do behave "cheaper" than the locals, you don't bring much. And this is not to make a point between being rich or poor. This is the view of a lot of the communities you do visit.

Ralf, you do have a point with a lot of the voluntering....it's all depend how it is managed.

The point is not the divide rich/poor. The point is what you bring to a community. Staying in a cheap all inclusive resort in Jamaica...bring very little to the comminuty. Do it in a very expensive all-inclusive...does not bring much more, it just create more jobs.

Now Mell, I won't agree just to put in on a political view point. Visiting countries like Myanmar, North Korea or Zimbabwe do rise that issue. I did Zimbabwe and do not regret. People there tell you...if you don't come...we will have nothing left to eat...so the point is to chose wisely your operator. For Myanmar, you can chose to stay in private places, let it be budget or not, and make some kind of difference. In North Korea, it is not possible. A lot, no...all the money you do is going to a bad governement. Should we go? I've got friend who did it...and who are doing it. Are there right...well, they are the ones that are going to speak about the place after and who could help to change it. This is why I'm very cautious to jump to conclusions.

Staying with a family does bring something. Staying in a hotel which sponsor the local school and give jobs to much of the local community may give even a bigger impact. What is important is to do it, whichever, and whatever your abilities.

Ralf, I agree that we travel the way we want, the way we can, and this is great. It's our choice and our lifestyle. It's just great to know that tourism today, in a lot of countries, is the biggest contributor to the economy and sustain a huge part of the job sector. That's the point I'm doing. We have our pleasure, this is great, but raising the level around is as good also. Reply to this