slum tourism has been the subject of much controversy, with critics labelling the voyeuristic aspects of slum tourism as poverty porn. both critiques and defenses of the practice have been made in the editorial pages of prominent newspapers, such as the "new york times", "wall street journal", london "times", and others. a primary accusation that the advocates against slum tourism make is that it "turns poverty into entertainment, something that can be momentarily experienced and then escaped from". kennedy odede, a kenyan, wrote in "the new york times" op-ed section, "they get photos; we lose a piece of our dignity." critics call the tours voyeuristic and exploitative. slum tourism critics have also cited the fact that christmas and valentine's day as common times for slum tourism further supporting the belief that westerners often visit slums just to "feel better about themselves" during those holidays when most people are with families and significant others.