The ethical questions that every traveler should ask about poverty tourism

Poverty tourism is in vogue. Well-heeled global travelers now regularly stray off the beaten path with the goal of understanding “real life” in the places they visit, dropping in on Brazil’s favelas and New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward. Reports are circulating that Norwegian teens are even participating in a camp that lets them role-play the experiences of real-life refugees—an experience promising to teach young people compassion via “play, fun and joint adventure.