The psychosocial impact of volunteer tourism in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro

‘Slum tourism’ is a growing trend in ‘exotic’ and ‘yet-to-develop’ contexts. In this post, Jessica Aquino discusses her research into the psychosocial impact of the interaction between tourists and favela dwellers on favela communities. By comparing the impact of volunteer tourism and slum tourism, she shows that while the former has the potential to foster self-esteem and community pride, the latter tends to reinforce negative representations of the favela.