All countries, and even most big cities in the US try to hide poverty and misery from the tourists. I'm not a world traveler, but I have toured a few cities and this is standard operating procedure.
Sometimes though the misery can't be avoided. Once, while on a Carribean cruise, my mother and I took a sightseeing cruise of one of the islands. This island boasted pink sand beaches and I will admit those beaches were beautiful. Unfortunately, this sightseeing tour could nor avoid deteriorating homes (which were shacks to begin with). When asked, the tour guide explained the island was still recovering from Hurricane Hugo. Only...Hugo occurred about 8 years earlier.
Then along the way, we came across a brand new stadium. The tour guide said it was for bicycle races, a popular sport on that islsnd. Found out later that most of the cost of that stadium was paid out of aid money received after Hurricane Hugo.
No matter where you go, be aware that while you are admiring various points of interests and shopping for souvenirs in some glitzy tourist trap, behind it all most likely is a great deal of misery for the average person living there.
