I thought we would visit museums to learn about townships and then head to Robben Island. I wanted to find a tour group to visit Robben Island, and the cheapest option also included a township tour. On my first trip to Cape Town, I unintentionally signed up for a township tour. If not, they can cause more harm than good for locals. The tours walk a fine line of ethicality - if done responsibly, they provide many positive cultural exchanges. Township tours typically bring visitors to the settlements to learn about the history of the township, see current programs, and interact with locals. Many townships are rapidly developing, but they are also notorious for issues including cramped living spaces, inadequate sewage and garbage disposal, crime, gangs and violence, lack of education, and poverty. An estimated 26% of the population lives in townships, but the divide is even more prominent in urban places like Cape Town, where nearly 60% of the population lives in informal settlements. They forced hundreds of thousands of Africans, Indians, and Coloureds to relocate to townships to make room for white-only areas. Townships are informal settlements designed under the apartheid government to segregate South Africans. If you have traveled to a developing country, you have probably seen tours that visit favelas, slums, or in South Africa’s case, townships. But, we also have a responsibility as global citizens to travel ethically and only participate in socially responsible tourism. We get the opportunity to learn about the history of places around the globe, participate in local events, and experience traditions and cultural practices first-hand. Click “globe” for more languages.Īs travelers, one of the most exciting aspects of visiting another country is experiencing a new culture.
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