Slumming in Style (NIMBY but I’ll visit if I can spa after.)

The wealthy elite have a whole new way to vacation while alleviating guilt.

It’s not just tourism anymore; it’s “voluntourism” or (even better) “poorism.”

For $13,000 (!!!!!!!) per person, American Express Travel will take you on the Orient Express and you can visit soup kitchens in between upscale dinners and shopping.

Seriously. This just smells of treating the locals as some kind of petting zoo. “Ooh … look at the poor people. Pass me the Evian.”

I get the point of Arthur Brooks, a sociologist interviewed for the article, that a little bit of giving is better than none but it seems a bit silly to claim that you’re spending your vacation “giving back” when all that you’re really doing is an icky version of sightseeing with maybe a little bit of hands on help. The article also talks about the local NGOs being inundated with a large group of untrained volunteers for a short period of time and that it causes more problems than it helps.

If you want to give, either go somewhere and really work for a significant period of time or find a reputable organization to give your money to so that they can do what needs to be done. Might I suggest the Canadian Harambee Education Society? They support girls in Kenya and Tanzania so that they can attend school. Just $400 pays a girl’s tuition for a year. $15,000 builds a dormitory. So, for $26,000 (the cost for 2 people to take the amex Orient Express trip), you could build a dormitory and pay the annual tuition for 27 girls.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly not saying that we should deprive ourselves of nice things and nice vacations. I’m just saying to be honest. Take a vacation and skip the poor people sightseeing tour. Or go somewhere, get your hands dirty, and really help.