ETHICAL CONCERNS OF DARK TOURISM
A Research Paper Presented to
The English Resource Center
School of Multimedia Arts
Asia Pacific College
Magallanes, Makati
In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Course
ERESWRT – Research Writing
Anna Alia Jasmin A. Balindong
April 2014
Chapter 1:
Introduction
A. Background of the Study
Traveling presents numerous benefits that can last for a lifetime. It can help strengthen a person’s independence and confidence by discovering things that can only be discovered when you travel to foreign countries. Aside from finding inner peace, tranquility, recreation, enjoyment, health and fitness in traveling, one important factor that is gained through traveling is education. Discovering and experiencing the world as it really stands are far better approaches to learning than reading about places in a textbook. By traveling, the World is your teacher and it's the most reliable source anyone could hope for. Which is why many consider it as the best form of education.
Infact, according to an article entitled "Educational Reasons to Travel" by Nina Makofsky, numerous type of knowledge could be gain by traveling. The first one is geography. Nothing reinforces the abstract concepts of geography and cartography better than traveling. It will also develop a person’s sense of direction and time. Second is culture. The primary educational reason many people travel is to learn about other cultures. Traveling abroad can illuminate cultural differences even further, and bring home concepts. Such concepts like the Japanese preferring shoes to be removed indoors, the Mexicans disliking saying no to any request, the Chinese believing red to be lucky and the French always greeting people upon entering a shop or a small restaurant. The third one is language. Learning a foreign language is one of the more challenging educational reasons to travel. Many people travel for this purpose. Most travelers learn language through conversing with locals, that way, they can not only practice the language itself but the diction and accent as well. The fourth and last one is history. Traveling can illuminate the multiple perspectives of a place's history.
Makofsky also stated that “Inside the classroom, we can read, listen, write and talk about different topics or see them on pictures where we are able to use our imagination; and only our imagination sets the limit” (http://traveltips.usatoday.com/educational-benefits-travel-1901.html)
More and more people realize the importance of traveling; Education being the most important. There’s also the matter of traveling expenses being relatively cheap nowadays that it has become easier for everyone to travel. According to an article entitled “Tourism Industry Grows to New Heights”, a study conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford company that researches the economic impacts of tourism, tourism economy expanded 6.2 percent last year alone. In 2011 the state tourism economy grew 8.3 percent. Tourist spending in 2012 also grew to new heights — $57.3 billion — and has grown 5 percent each year since 2003.
In the article the author, Jose Serano stated that “The number of travelers and tourists is continuously increasing. The increases of travelers appear to be the result of economic improvement of most countries in the past couple of years.” (Http://www.ocala.com/article/20136223/ARTICLES/135229065)
Due to the increasing amount of travelers, there’s also a demand for diversity of tourism practices. Regular tourists activities and attractions have become too mainstream and just aren’t sufficient for the needs of the tourist. Their taste for adventure has taken a huge turn.
Tourists aren’t the only ones whose demands are increasing; there are so many places in the world today that rely heavily on tourism as a key source of income and employment. Tourism also help boosts the economy of a country. It can provide an incentive for investment in infrastructure such as roads and rail networks, as well as funding local medical and education facilities.
Betty Little, chair of the US’ Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Committee, said that the growth in the state's tourism industry is "good for the economy and state revenue growth, but especially good news for the thousands of small, 'mom and pop' businesses dependent upon this kind of activity."(Http://www.ocala.com/article/20136223/ARTICLES/135229065)
The increased competition for tourists has led to a new tourist trend called dark tourism.One of which is Slum Tourism. Slum Tourism is a tourist practice wherein travelers visit poor areas (mostly slums) to observe the local inhabitant's way of living. This type of practice started in the late 1800s; Wealthy New Yorkers would visit the Lower East Side to observe how the people from the poorest side of the city live. Nowadays, more and more people get curious of a slum lifestyle; thanks to movies such as Slumdog Millionaire and Fast5, organized slum tours exist in many parts of the World such as Rio de Jenero, Mumbai, Egyt, Mexico, Johannesburg and recently, joining a long list slum capitals, the Philippines.
In an article entitled "Slum tourism: Patronizing or social enlightenment?" an interview with Mr. Krishna Pujari, owner of Reality Tours and Travels, states that the purpose of Slum Tourism is for the people who think slums are just about poverty, danger or begging. For them to see that these places aren't just a place full of misery, but are vibrant communities that know how to deal with their problems.
Mr. Pujari said “Slum tours increase awareness of poverty issues, making it more real rather than just seeing it on television or reading about it in books and magazines. Many tourists often come to put their life into perspective and experience world problems first hand. It is also a chance to see how these people struggle with their day-to-day lives.” (http://ezinearticles.com/?Slum-Tours:-Good-or-Bad?&!d=9123652)
However, the idea of dark tourism raises some ethical concerns. The researcher believes that dark tourism should be discouraged. For it is that a practice that is actually insulting and degrading to the local community and even more bluntly creates a situation wherein one person thinks that they are inherently better than the other.
The information in this paper is important, because knowledge about dark tourism will provide the reader to grasp the overall concept of said tourism practice and will raise awareness to the people.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reasons why dark tourism should be discouraged.
B. Statement of the Problem
This study aims to answer this question:
1. Why should dark tourism be discouraged?
C. Significance of the Study
Tourists/Travelers – tourists/travelers should know what the effects of the practice of dark tourism have to the local community in order to raise awareness.
Businessmen – businessmen established most of these ‘dark tourism’ attractions unknowingly. This research paper would help these businessmen clearly understand the concept of dark tourism and would be able to identify if their attractions are part of that category.
Economists – Economists would benefit in this study because tourism directly impacts a country’s gross domestic product or GDP.
Psychologists – Tourists behavior is also a big factor in this study. Therefore, people who studies psychology would be able to read and analyze human behavior in a certain aspect such as traveling.
D. Scope and Delimitations
Due to time constraints, this study will no longer deal with the study of tourism as a whole. This paper, however, will review behavior and demand responses of tourists’ to dark tourism attractions as well as the impact of said attractions to the local community. Furthermore, this paper will also highlight the main problems that occur within this sector of tourism.
E. Materials and Methods
The materials used for this research was gathered from books, academically reviewed journals, on-line factual reports, newspapers and the Internet. All this sources can justify the point of view of an author and provide relevant information about the research project. The sources of this research came from existing studies in tourism, human behavior and economics.
F. Definition of Terms
1. Dark Tourism - is all about traveling to places that were once (or still are) associated with pain, suffering, horrible living conditions, natural and manmade disasters or death. (http://www.vacationideas.me/travel-tips/thanatourism-definition-dark-tourism/)
2. Perceptions: immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment: an artist of rare perception. (http://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0SO8w)
3. Slum - A heavily populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor. Often used in the plural. (http://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt)
4. Slumming: To visit impoverished areas or squalid locales, especially out of curiosity or for amusement. (http://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt)
5. Travel Motivation: something or someone that motivates a person to travel. (http://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0S05y)
Chapter 2:
DISCUSSION
Why should Dark Tourism be discouraged?
I. Definition of Dark Tourism
Dark tourism is a type of tourism in which tourists specifically target destinations or exhibitions highlighting death, morbid suffering or atrocities. It is one of the many types of tourism that has arisen in the development of modern niche tourism.
According to an article online entitled “What is Dark Tourism”, Dark Tourism is derived from Greek word Thanatos (meaning Death) and has grown to become a popular and profitable travel niche. By definition, the website stated that “Thanatourism is about traveling to places that were once (or still are) associated with pain, suffering, horrible living conditions, natural and manmade disasters or death.”(http://www.vacationideas.me/travel-tips/thanatourism-definition-dark-tourism/)
Another definition synced with dark tourism is the term "black spots", which according to a field study conducted by Rojek is a "...commercial developments of grave sites and sites in which celebrities or large numbers of peoples have met with sudden and violent deaths"(http://repository.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/89)
Both the expressions "dark tourism" and "thanatourism" will be used in this research, because they have the same meaning, but are differently interpreted. Thanatourism is based on the motivational aspect, while dark tourism is attraction respectively location based. In contrast, black spots are a parts of the dark tourism spectrum and rather describe places of sudden and violent death.
The researcher also noticed that some academics interpret dark tourism under more general auspices and do not measure intent in defining dark tourism. For example, some may classify World War II camps or haunted houses as dark tourist attractions, as these exhibits emphasize the tragic or frightening moments of human history. Other academics make a clear distinction between dark tourism and other types of adjectival tourism. They narrow the definition to exclusively include exhibits and attractions solely associated with the gruesome or morbid historical events or exhibits that strongly appeal to the darker, curious side of human nature.
Most definitely, dark tourism in its truest form generally differs from other types of special interest tourism, such as war tourism or grief tourism. Many tourists visit war memorials to pay respects to veterans or to remember the honorable sacrifices made on a battlefield. This type of visitation is generally not considered "dark." Dark tourism relates specifically to the act of traveling for the entertainment value of a morbid interest in death, suffering and disasters.
II. Kinds of Dark Tourism
A. Horror tourism involves the visitation of sites associated with murder, torture and infamous crime. Thus, examples would various horror tours which take place around the city, during which it is possible to visit sites associated with murderers such as Jack the Ripper, Sweeny Todd and Dennis Nielsen. This
type of thanatourism is extremely commonplace.
According to an article entitled “Dark Tourism: A Fine Line Between Curiosity and Exploitation” written by Amanda Kendle, “Horror is a highly saleable tourism commodity and tourists have a particular appetite for sites and artifacts related to atrocity, it is both a highly marketable combination of education and enjoyment and a powerful combination of education and enjoyment and a powerful instrument for the transference of political or social messages” (http://www.vagabondish.com/dark-tourism-travel-tours/).
B. Hardship tourism relates to the visiting of sites where individuals have experienced or are experiencing human hardship, struggle and in many cases death. Thus, as well as the elements of death which exist at the site, the location is also ‘dark’ in nature in relation to its ability to crush the human spirit through depravity.
An article entitled “Poverty Tourism” defined Hardship tourism as “sites that include specific areas for example slavery sites, slums and prisons.” And therefore “Touring a squatter camp in Soweto, South Africa, or similarly poor settlements in India, and driving through the favelas of Rio de Janeiro all belong to this category.” (http://www.vagabondish.com/dark-tourism-travel-tours/#CdBJtPeoQIZGgVHk.99)
C. Tragedy tourism is defined as the kind of Thanatourism that involves natural/ accidental or deliberate/premeditated disasters or accidents,whether on a global or local scale to individual or mass effect. Examples of this kind of tourism would include visits to Ground Zero in New York, the proposed accident museum in Paris (the site of Princess Diana’s death) and exhibitions concerning and the actual sites of the Hurricane Katrina, Pompeii and Chernobyl.
According to an article entitled “Developing a New Concepceptual Framework for Thanatourism by Ria Dunkley “It is perhaps because of the increased awareness of unavoidable acts of nature and human accidents proved by the very technology that we celebrate which represent the dark face of human progress that in recent times there has been a growth in tourism of site.” (https://www.academia.edu/1904407/A_shot_in_the_dark_Developing_a_new_conceptual_framework_for_thanatourism)
D. Warfare Tourism A researcher who conducted a study on warfare tourism named Tony Walter argues that it is as a result of “consumer-led, postmodern tourism that today’s battlefield tour has emerged”. Included within this category are sites portraying every aspect of war, including battlefields, war museums such as the Imperial War Museum (UK), the Museum of Remembrance (France) and ‘war experiences’ such as ‘Britain at War’ in London, as well as battle re-enactments and war memorials. War has important implications in terms of present and future societies and Walter notes:
“Wars are the time-markers of society, and the effects of war covertly invade our cultural beliefs and human behaviour… Remembrance and commemoration are theessence of the past that fashioned today. Tourism to war-related sites is honorific, notmaudlin; and by our knowledge of war, its meanings and mechanisms, we betterunderstand our roles in the global society.” ((http://www.vagabondish.com/dark-tourism-travel-tours/).
III. Ethical Issues of Dark Tourism
A. Voyeurism - Visiting memorials dedicated to some tragic event has always formed part of tourism, as has gazing at the often-dramatic effects of natural disasters such as volcano eruptions. And that should be OK. However, if it's about goggling at the misery of others that is the result of very recent or still ongoing disasters, then the aspect of voyeurism does indeed come to the foreground.
According to article entitled "Slumdog Tourism" by Kennedy Odede, it states that slum tourism is a one-way street: tourist get photos and the locals lose a piece of their dignity. Odede is a Kenyan from Nairobi’s Kibera slum. In the article he narrates his experience with slum tourism. He was 16 when he first saw tourist roaming around his neighborhood taking pictures of everything they find interesting; It didn't bother him at first but the moment of enlightenment of the real situation happened when he turned 18. He founded an organization that provides education, health and economic services for Kibera residents. While doing a documentary for a Greek filmmaker, Odede realized the real condition of Kibera: feces, rats, starvation, houses so close together that no one can breathe. He then realized that he didn’t want the people to see it, didn’t want to give them the opportunity to judge his community for its poverty — a condition that few tourists, no matter how well intentioned, could ever understand.
"Slum tourism turns poverty into entertainment, something that can be momentarily experienced and then escaped from. People think they’ve really “seen” something — and then go back to their lives and leave me, my family and my community right where we were before." Kibera said. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/opinion/10odede.html)
It's indeed ethically dubious to go to places suffering from ongoing disaster just to ogle (it's different if you're there to help, of course). It's often a question of how much time has elapsed since a given catastrophe. (The Lonely Planet Bluelist 2007 called the issue "going back to early"). The time that needs to pass before dark tourism to recently affected areas can be justified is a difficult issue in itself, however. For example, when people flocked to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to look around and take pictures of the devastation, this caused some outrage. In short: it was regarded as unethical voyeurism. The same happened after the disastrous earthquakes in southern China a few years ago.
B. Safety Risks - to risk your own health and safety, or even your life, is "danger tourism" and NOT dark tourism. And obviously enough it's not just about yourself – you should not jeopardize anybody else's safety either. But that applies generally, not specifically to dark tourism. However, certain categories of dark tourism do involve specific risks, first and foremost so-called nuclear tourism (e.g. going to Chernobyl, Trinity or Semipalatinsk). The issue of potentially exposing yourself to risky levels of radioactivity really has to be taken into consideration.
According to an article entitled “Health and Safety Risk of Tourism”, one health risk aspect comes as a distinctive element of one particular form of dark tourism, namely that part ofnuclear tourism that includes radioactively contaminated destinations. Chernobyl orSemipalatinsk are prime examples.
The article also mentioned that “Such places can be visited reasonably safely, though, provided you observe certain safety guidelines – and don't expose yourself to elevated radiation levels for a prolonged periods of time. In the case of Chernobyl, tours offered to tourists are restricted to a few hours in the area anyway, and during that time you don't get any more exposure than the naturally elevated levels of radioactivity you are exposed to on a transatlantic flight. Other places, such as Mayak/Lake Karachay in Russia, are complete no-go areas – absolutely too dangerous.” (http://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/imprint/18-main-menus/mainmenussubpages/601-health-and-safety-risks)
C. Wrong Conduct - when going to a place such as former concentration camps or any sites of persecution and genocide, it is essential that one behaves appropriately, and not as if at a funfair or a touristy beach. You'd think that this would go without saying – though often such sites also erect signs explicitly demanding respectful conduct (and often a restrained "dress code" too). But sadly, what some people consider to be acceptable behaviour at such sites leaves a lot to be desired!
A similar situation was encountered by travel blogger named Derek Earl saying that “All too often did I have to witness some unbelievable conduct at sites even as sombre and chilling asAuschwitz, Sachsenhausen or the Killing Fields in Cambodia – such as prancing about and posing for snapshots with the apparently prerequisite "cheese" grin as if the site was just some theme park; people just being loud and boisterous or munching junk food etc.”(http://www.wanderingearl.com/when-tourism-goes-terribly-wrong/)
However, such misconduct is more often seen in what could be called "secondary" dark tourists, meaning people who only "take in" some dark site simply because it's somehow part of the relevant place's general tourism itinerary (as in Cambodia), and not because they're specifically interested in it, let alone travelled there with the actual aim of seeing it. The latter applies to what, in analogy, could then be called "primary" dark tourists. And you can probably assume that such primary dark tourists will come with a better awareness of what the place in question is about. They come to be informed or are already well informed and want to finally experience the place for themselves.
D. Exploitation - According to the World Tourist Organisation, one billion people are expected to travel in 2012, so the increase in the number of travellers opting for slum tourism is likely to rise. Businesses who established attractions in Dark Tourism took advantage of the growing number of tourists. One example would be the Slum Tours in Mumbai. For $10, people get a two-and-a-half hour taste of slum living: navigating alleys that cannot fit two people side by side, visiting bakeries and recycling plants, climbing onto rooftops and treading through playgrounds made of trash.
However, when a local slum resident named Prasad, who is a local trader in Dharavi, India, was asked about his opinion on this tours, he replied "It doesn't help me at all, we see foreigners several times a week. Sometimes they come and talk to us, some offer us a bit of cash, but we don't get anything from these tours," (http://www.bbc.com/news/business-19546792)
We can see from here on that residents see these tours as a one-way street; An excuse for businessmen to exploit the local communities. Invading people's privacy and showcasing poverty for personal gain; it will only degrade the morality of the people living in the area.
Chapter 3:
SUMARRY, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMNEDATIONS
SUMMARY
This paper attempted to justify why Dark Tourism should be discouraged.
The research design used in this study is the
descriptive research method wherein data from documents, articles and books found
in the Internet were used to answer the research question posed. The research
findings are the following:
1. Traveling has become an investment to acquire numerous benefits and people are starting to realize the importance of traveling hence; there had been an increase in the number travelers throughout the years.
2. Traveling has never been easier due to the advancement in technology that it became relatively cheap, making it possible for almost anyone to travel.
3. Due to the increasing number of travelers and the types of people that travel each year, there had been an increase in demand for tourism activities as well.
4. Most countries rely heavily on tourism for a boast on their economy that competition between countries has sprung up.
5. The increase for competition on tourists has led to a new tourist trend called Dark Tourism
2. Traveling has never been easier due to the advancement in technology that it became relatively cheap, making it possible for almost anyone to travel.
3. Due to the increasing number of travelers and the types of people that travel each year, there had been an increase in demand for tourism activities as well.
4. Most countries rely heavily on tourism for a boast on their economy that competition between countries has sprung up.
5. The increase for competition on tourists has led to a new tourist trend called Dark Tourism
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of this study, the following
conclusions are drawn:
1. Dark Tourism is one of the many types of tourism that
has arisen in the development of modern niche tourism.
2. Dark tourism
relates specifically to the act of traveling for the entertainment value of a
morbid interest in death, suffering and disasters.
3. There are 4
kinds of Dark Tourism classified on this paper: a.) Horror Tourism, b.)
Hardship Tourism c.)Tragedy Tourism and d.) Warfare Tourism.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researcher hereby makes the following suggestions/recommendations:
1. People should be sensitive on the culture and living situations of the place that they're visiting by behaving in a manner that will not offend the locals.
2. People should take extra precautions of their safety when visiting another place. Always observe safety guidelines throughout the duration of the travel.
3. Most of these places presents risks to travelers, therefore, one should behave in a proper conduct at all times.
4. Avoid going or being part of a tourism activity that would degrade a person's well-being and morality.
5. Avoid patronizing Dark Tourism altogether. An increase in demand for this particular tourism activity would mean an increase in supply as well.
4. Avoid going or being part of a tourism activity that would degrade a person's well-being and morality.
5. Avoid patronizing Dark Tourism altogether. An increase in demand for this particular tourism activity would mean an increase in supply as well.
References:
A. Electronic
Media
Makofsky, N. (2010, January 11). ‘Educational
Reasons to Travel” Retrieved March 25, 2014 from http://traveltips.usatoday.com/educational-benefits-travel-1901.html
Serano, J. (2010). “Tourism Industy Grows
to New Heights”. Retrieved March 25 2014 from http://www.ocala.com/article/20136223/ARTICLES/135229065
Little, B. (2013, March 10). “Growth in
Tourism Indusrty Retrieved March 26, 2014 from http://www.ocala.com/article/20136223/ARTICLES/135229065
Pujari, K. (2008, April). ”Slum Tourism: Patronizing or Social Enlightenment”. Retrieved March 26, 2014
from http://ezinearticles.com/?Slum-Tours:-Good-or-Bad?&!d=9123652
Rojek, J. (2009, November 9). “What is Dark
Tourism. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from http://www.vacationideas.me/travel-tips/thanatourism-definition-dark-tourism/
Kendle, A. (2013, January 4). “Dark Tourism: A Fine Line Between Curiosity and Exploitation”. Retrieved March 28, 2014 from http://www.vagabondish.com/dark-tourism-travel-tours/
Dunkley, R. (2012, April 19). “Developing a New
Concepceptual Framework for Thanatourism. Retrieved April
7, 2014 from https://www.academia.edu/1904407/A_shot_in_the_dark_Developing_a_new_conceptual_framework_for_thanatourism
Dunkley,
R. (2012, April 19). “Developing a New Concepceptual Framework for Thanatourism. Retrieved April 8, 2014 from https://www.academia.edu/1904407/A_shot_in_the_dark_Developing_a_new_conceptual_framework_for_thanatourism
Earl, D (2013, January 5) “Travel Exploitation”. Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.wanderingearl.com/when-tourism-goes-terribly-wrong/
