Pro Poor Tourism money helps the needy.
In a civilized society, the needs of the poor are taken into account. The overall goal is to alleviate suffering. Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) is one of the ways to do this. Tourist money is spent in resorts and other facilities that hire the indigent and money is dispersed to a poor society. As with any business, PPT has its ethical concerns. Since the overriding goal is to help the poor, tourist money must not be squandered on unethical activities while pretending to help.
Truth in Advertising
As with any business, truth in advertising is always an ethical concern. While laws vary from country to country, the common theme is truth in advertising. A tourism company cannot tout that it is helping the poor when it actually is not. If word gets out that a company is unethical, the company is branded by the community and its business will fail.
Exploitation
According to the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE), exploitation is a concern (see Reference 1). A big difference exists between helping a poor area, such as the shanty towns of Mumbai, and touring poor areas as a voyeur. The APPE states that a tourist may become a voyeur if his money is not spent on the poor, but rather on high-priced entertainment while looking at the poor. A marketing company must spend tourism money on the poor themselves and not market high-priced entertainment while pretending to help the poor.
Disparity of Medical Treatment
A type of tour gaining popularity is elective surgery tours. Elective surgeries such as breast enhancement are sometimes done in Third World nations due to the lesser costs there (see Reference 1). Many of the hospitals are privately-owned, with first class treatment and facilities. The ethical concern is that the local population does not have access to medical treatment, in effect being "locked out" of a private hospital. This creates a disparity of treatment, with the local poor being told that the hospital is only for those that can afford medical care.
Allocation of Funds
Allocation of funds is an ethical concern while marketing a tour. A marketing company cannot say tourism money is helping the poor when, in effect, it's helping itself to the funds. According to the Pro Poor Tourism Partnership, the goal is to maximize benefits to the indigent (see Reference 2).
