Disaster tourism, a subject also known as “dark tourism” or “catastrophe tourism,” entails traveling to sites where tragic events, often related to natural disasters or man-made catastrophes, have unfolded. This form of tourism has developed over the last few years and is guided mainly by curiosity. While tourism in the face of disaster can be rich in lessons in resilience, history, and human vulnerability, including concerns about affected communities. This article delves into the multi-faceted nature of disaster tourism, and the relationship between tourism and recovery.
The History of Disaster Tourism:
History tells us that disaster tourism is not a new concept. Human interest in traveling to sites of tragedy is almost as old as history itself seeing with one’s own eyes the aftermath. One of the first recorded instances of this kind was after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which buried the then-Roman cities of Pompeii. Within a few weeks of the event, the first visitors arrived to view the ruins and to gaze at the horrible power of nature.
The trend of tourism went towards sites of battle such as the site of Gettysburg in the USA and Waterloo in Belgium, sites visited by people who went to witness the horrors of war. These visits have been motivated by respect towards the fallen, as well as a closeness to history that shaped events. In like manner, in the early 20th century, tourists visited the site where the Titanic sank, just as audiences went to the shores of Newfoundland to catch glimpses of the remains of the ill-fated ship.
Motivations Behind Disaster Tourism:
Motivation for disaster tourism is varied and complex. For some, going to the site of a disaster implies showing respect toward the dead and watching the suffering that transpired. Thus, this form of tourism is practiced through memorialization, and, in turn, be in solidarity with affected communities.
For others, disaster tourism is motivated by a desire to learn and understand. Indeed, the possibility to sightsee at the site of tragedy frequently provides a person with tangible feelings toward historical happenings, knowledge that one would otherwise be unable to receive from books or documentaries. This would be particularly found in cases where the disaster had a huge effect on history or disaster happenings are complex and multifaceted, both in cause and consequence. Tours of Chornobyl, for example, provide an understanding of the dangers and risks of nuclear power that no classroom can offer.
However, the motivations of all are not so altruistic or purely educational. There is also a dark side to disaster tourism, as tourists at sites of tragedy are obligated by some morbid curiosity or thrill-seeking drive. The voyeuristic stance here turns a bit complicated, seeing risk in trivializing the suffering of the victims and turning tragedy into fun.
Ethical Considerations in Disaster Tourism:
The ethical underpinnings of such a conceptualization of disaster tourism are, in turn, the subject of near-continuous debate. On the one hand, case for visits to these sites of tragedy deal with crucial matters evoke sympathy, and help maintain the memory of historical events. On the other hand, a line exists between respectful remembrance and exploitation.
This part of the chapter now turns to consider what are the main ethical problems of disaster tourism, each connected with points of possible exploitation: This may mean that, in some cases, companies and local businesses can commercialize the tragedy used for others’ misery. This many a time comes out in the form of the sale of souvenirs, tours designed around disasters, or setting up tourist infrastructure in areas that may still be recovering. This process runs the risk of changing from memory being focused on the victims to being focused on the potential profits that could be made from their suffering when disaster sites are turned into tourist attractions.
Another moral issue concerning disaster tourism is the impact it has on the community. Tourism itself is intrusive, especially in places that still face the challenges brought on by a disaster. The tours conducted by people disturb the operations in place to make a recovery. At the same time, it burdens the already stretched local resources, which continue injecting into their lives more feelings of grief. This gives communities the feeling that their grief is being exhibited to outsiders for their amusement.
Moreover, disaster tourism impinges on ideas of consent and agency. In most cases, the communities that experience a tragedy have minimal involvement in whether the tragedy turns into a tourist attraction. The decision about how to remember a disaster, or how tourism is to be managed, usually lies in the hands of the government, tour operators, or international organizations, but not in the hands of the communities that have first-hand experience.
The Economic Impact of Disaster Tourism:
While being so unethical, disaster tourism may bring great economic benefits to the communities in question. In some ways, tourism can provide the much-needed source of incoming funds that would maintain economies, repair the damage, and restructure communities post-disasters.
For example, after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, this type of tourism by the visitors to the destinations in Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka that were affected increased, as people came to understand the catastrophe and participate in rebuilding activities. The type of tourism has ramped up business activities, employment opportunities, and money for the reconstruction process. Following the Chornobyl disaster, tourism has indeed become one of the most common activities, with thousands of tourists visiting each year.
However, the economic benefits of disaster tourism do not usually accrue to all parties on the local community level. Very often, the greater part of the profit wealth from tourism tends to fly out to foreign or domestic investors, tour operators, and governments. This could often result in a situation in which the resident bears all the velocity and price appreciation of goods and services resulting from tourism without any financial gain.
In addition, economic reliance on disaster tourism may produce an incentive to keep sites of tragedy intact as a tourist attraction or become a remembrance or healing space. Preservation for purposes of tourism can prolong, or impede the process of rebuilding and recovery.
The Role of the Media in Disaster Tourism
The media plays a very important role in shaping perceptions of disasters within the public eye and, therefore, the growing industry of disaster tourism. Indeed, the way disaster is portrayed through media serves as a dictation to whether or not it becomes a tourism hotspot and the nature in which it is remembered by society.
In most instances, massive publicity of a disaster leads to interest, curiosity, and, in most cases, increased tourism. For instance, the 9/11 scenario in New York City had unprecedented reporting, which has led to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum being one of New York City’s biggest tourist attractions. For instance, in 2019, there was a popular HBO miniseries based on the Chornobyl disaster that attracted much tourism to the area.
But it can also be a way to continue the commodification of tragedy, in which disaster is packaged and sold as a spectacle of consumption. Sensationalist reporting, the peddling of gore, and the rebranding of disaster sites as places to visit for tourists can easily transition the discussion between education and exploitation. This begs questions of media responsibility in walking the fine line between obligations to inform society and paying respect to the dignity of the victims/survivors.
The Complex Relationship Between Tourism and Recovery:
On the one hand, it can be viewed positively in terms of its place in healing through economic support, awareness, and tribute of memory to the event. It can also spell a real disaster in terms of trauma exacerbation and exploitation of suffering, coupled with a diversion of resources from the more pressing needs.
One main challenge of disaster tourism is striking a balance between numbers, monetary benefits, community, and entrepreneur management. This calls for careful planning and coordination between governments and the communities, heads, tour operators, and other stakeholders. In some cases, there may be a call for consideration to be placed on tourism right after the occurrence of a disaster, which means that ideally, time is allowed for the communities to heal and recover.
Another critical point is the role of tourism in recovery over the long term. Tourism can sometimes increasingly play a part in revitalizing the community—by generating income, and jobs, and being inclusive in such a way that the benefits accruing from tourism activity are equitably shared.
Best Practices for Ethical Disaster Tourism:
Establishing best practices in the way this tourism is managed with sensitivity, responsibility, and practical issues bound to come up in disaster tourism. Some of the major considerations that will help in establishing ethical disaster tourism include:
Respect for Local Communities: Disaster tourism will accord primacy to the needs and the rights of the affected communities. This will include local people being part of any decision-making process and the ability of tourism to balance the interests.
Commemoration and Education: Most of the Disaster Tourism concept must be based on the remembrance of the victims by way of education on the event and its causes. Memorials and museums all may accomplish this without being sensationalistic in their approach by providing information that is based on accuracy and respect.
Fair distribution of benefits: This means that economic benefits from tourism disasters could be shared with affected communities through community-based tourism initiatives where residents have ownership.
Sustainable Tourism Practice: Disaster tourism should be handled in a way that is both environmentally and socially sensitive and sustainable. This particularly implies that the ecological footprint of tourist activities should go down, and the responsible behavior of the visitors should always be assured.
Ethical Marketing: Tour operators, there is no sense of sensationalism or efforts to exploit the disaster for commercialization. Such marketing material should focus on the educational and commemorative nature of disaster tourism.
Conclusion:
Disaster tourism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that raises important questions about ethics, economics, and the role of tourism in society. Though disaster tourism can potentially create valuable education, it can also create exploitative and harmful situations. In this way, ethical guidelines for disaster tourism are argued in this paper in a manner that should have the direct engagement of local communities in the whole process.