Hawkers and panhandlers are an authentic part of the travel dynamic

“It is easy to become annoyed at the number of hawkers trying to sell us goods and services in many of the places we visit, and to become equally annoyed at what seems to be an overly tolerant attitude toward such practices on the part of local municipalities and tourist establishments. Once again, we often see such practices as directed specifically against us and as evidence of “inauthentic” tourist encounters. In reality, such informal economic sector practices often predate modern tourism and can be an important part of local culture. Where they are tolerated, it is often because they are recognized as being a vital resource for people in need. The laudable goal of attempting to increase our understanding of local cultures should include consideration of the possibility that many of our common and sometimes annoying economic encounters with the local population have their basis in long-established cultural practices — not to mention colonialist, patron-client relationships. …On the other hand, tourism does seem to give rise to a variety of exploitative practices that are directed toward visitors. In addition to common sense, one way of distinguishing such activities from those discussed above is to be a good ethnographer and make note of how the more privileged members of a place respond to similar encounters.”
–Erve Chambers, “Can the Anthropology of Tourism Make us Better Travelers?”, NAPA Bulletin 23 (2005)