Social voyeurism: A reservation that we keep hearing. This is understandable in times when there is profit-oriented slum tourism. We think it’s great that people include this in their buying decisions.

Today we are clearing up once and for all. We explain why SHADES TOURS has nothing to do with social voyeurism:

As you know, all of our guides are affected by their topic. That means they went through a particularly challenging time in their lives. Exactly that is NOT the crux of the matter of the tours, but they rather focus on socio-political education. This is the unique about us and the personal experience of the guide serves the fact that it makes him an expert in the respective topic. We see our job as “educators”.

Each guide therefore decides completely whether and to what extent he addresses his personal story. Most guides talk about it in order to make certain aspects more understandable and lively. Talking about their past and the sympathy of the participants is also a certain form of therapy for them.

We would never think of doing marketing with their personal stories. You will not find any information about the past of the guides on our website or social media – only about the current activity as a guide. We also reject press inquiries aimed at their past.

YES, the stories are exciting, unbelievable and touching and would certainly give us more bookings but that’s not the reasons our guides went through that times. If you want to know something, please come on tour and ask your guide. You will be surprised at the openness of the guides. But we want them to be able to tune that grade theirself.

And other affected people?

There is a fine line between social education and voyeurism, we are aware of this challenge. However, we are repeatedly praised by participants and social workers for the balancing act. SHADES TOURS rejects social voyeurism, so that neither people are put on display, nor former sleeping places of the guides or other people are shown. The tours do not lead to acutal places that affected people frequent . Your guide will be the only person affected that you see on the tour.