: Natural Disaster Tourism- A Blessing in disguise!
Author: Krista Sadien
2 Commentries
Abstract:
Natural disaster can become tourist hot spot zones for people to visit. Over the past years, climate change has created a lot of intense weather events. In some cases, natural disasters can increase tourism and can often be seen as a blessing in disguise. Everywhere in the world, destination will be definitely affected by these changes and it is up to people to decide if they want to be ''winners'' or ''losers'' in the tourism sector.
Keyword:
Natural disaster, death related attractions, climate change, Hurricane Katrina, dark tourism, consumer behaviour, tourism segments & motives
Discussion:
According to Foley & Lennon (2000), there is an increasingly number of death-related visitor attractions, where authorities are very often trading them under the disguise of remembrance, education and entertainment. These calamities cities fascinate people excitement to consume real death. Without a doubt, the exploitation of disaster tourism travel to sites of death, ruins of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to enjoying the beach in the Louisiana coast where oil spillage occur or even visiting Mount Merapi closest village has become very popular. Thus the term dark tourism also known as thanatourism has become very popular. As Tarlow (2005, p48), stated that dark tourism is about 'visitations to places where tragedies or historically noteworthy death has occurred and that continue to impact our lives'.
Poor countries often exploit tourism as a means of economic salvation. Dark tourism literature is usually diverse and fragile and therefore, understanding disaster tourist regarding their consumption of the dark tourism is often very difficult. As stated by Seaton (1996), this tourism segment has not been questioned but only consumed. The essay demonstrated the consumer behaviour together with socio-cultural aspects of death; which will then lead to a better understanding of consumer motives within the dark tourism. As stated by Lennon & Foley (2000), people have become aware of the appearance of new trends in consumer behaviour for example the need for authenticity.
There are 3 main cases that have been discussed in the essay; one of them is the oil spillage in the gulf coast, as said by the American President Mr Obama, people need to visit if they want to help as there are still tourism opportunities. (BBC News June 2010). By motivating tourist to visit these places, the president is encouraging disaster tourism in order to boost the economy. Most of the time, this type of tourism is seen as bad, as it involve people to travel for pure curiosity without the aim to help local directly. Another, disaster tourism attractions which has been discussed in the essay is the ruins of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Natural disaster tourism first took place in Greater New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina devasted the area, and has become famous since then. There has been both good and bad critics on the Katrina tours buses, some local find it unethical while others are happy to earn their living. (Slayton, S.L; Grief tourism 2006)
As said by (Salt 2003), authorities in countries affected by disaster find the disaster tourism very beneficial as it helps local people to re build their lives. By visiting these calamities places, tourists get an idea of the true reality about these affected areas. As per Ritchie (2004), disaster tourist can turned their visit into a positive life changing experience by not being a passive tourist but instead get down to business in improving affected people everyday life. By helping rescue team to rehabilitate locals, tourist will understand the importance of humanity and will take the best out of this experience
Disaster tourism is usually seen as an unforgivable voyeurism than a history lesson. It all depends on what tourists see and what they feel when showing up in disaster places where people are still suffering. Zhang et al (2002) Disaster tourism is not always directed towards dark motives, but instead can rebuild the country economic situation. In contrast, there is lot of motives why this tourism segment should not be encouraged, one of them is the voyeurism, and local may feel uncomfortable to see strangers staring at their tragedy (Lennon & Foley, 2000).
According to the World Tourism Organisation, climate change is due to global warming and this will bring key changes in the tourism industry. Global warming will therefore change the tourism industry forever. To conclude, the tourism industry is without doubt changing and it is up to authorities to bring positive impact from these changes. Many destinations could develop other types of tourism like disaster, grief or dark tourism. Solutions are always there as long as local people and authorities work together to overcome difficulties caused by climate change.
As a result of this tourism segment related with death at the centre point of the dark tourism concept, the essay described the consumer behaviour, which includes contemporary socio-cultural aspects of death. It is suggested by Sharpley (1999), that this will also lead to a better understanding of the consumer motives within the dark tourism.
REFERENCES
Lennon, J. & Foley, M. (2000) Dark Tourism - The Attraction of Death and Disaster.
London: Continuum.
Slayton,S.L. (2006) Hurrricane Kartrina: tear & grief tourism/grief tourism/ [online]. [Accessed 25 April 2011].available at : <http://www.grief-tourism.com/hurricane-katrina-fear-and-grief-tourism/>
Tarlow, P.E. (2005) Dark Tourism: the appealing 'dark' side of tourism and more. In
M.Novelli (ed) Niche Tourism - Contemporary Issues, Trends and Cases, Oxford: Elsevier:
Natural disaster can become tourist hot spot zones for people to visit. Over the past years, climate change has created a lot of intense weather events. In some cases, natural disasters can increase tourism and can often be seen as a blessing in disguise. Everywhere in the world, destination will be definitely affected by these changes and it is up to people to decide if they want to be ''winners'' or ''losers'' in the tourism sector.
Keyword:
Natural disaster, death related attractions, climate change, Hurricane Katrina, dark tourism, consumer behaviour, tourism segments & motives
Discussion:
According to Foley & Lennon (2000), there is an increasingly number of death-related visitor attractions, where authorities are very often trading them under the disguise of remembrance, education and entertainment. These calamities cities fascinate people excitement to consume real death. Without a doubt, the exploitation of disaster tourism travel to sites of death, ruins of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to enjoying the beach in the Louisiana coast where oil spillage occur or even visiting Mount Merapi closest village has become very popular. Thus the term dark tourism also known as thanatourism has become very popular. As Tarlow (2005, p48), stated that dark tourism is about 'visitations to places where tragedies or historically noteworthy death has occurred and that continue to impact our lives'.
Poor countries often exploit tourism as a means of economic salvation. Dark tourism literature is usually diverse and fragile and therefore, understanding disaster tourist regarding their consumption of the dark tourism is often very difficult. As stated by Seaton (1996), this tourism segment has not been questioned but only consumed. The essay demonstrated the consumer behaviour together with socio-cultural aspects of death; which will then lead to a better understanding of consumer motives within the dark tourism. As stated by Lennon & Foley (2000), people have become aware of the appearance of new trends in consumer behaviour for example the need for authenticity.
There are 3 main cases that have been discussed in the essay; one of them is the oil spillage in the gulf coast, as said by the American President Mr Obama, people need to visit if they want to help as there are still tourism opportunities. (BBC News June 2010). By motivating tourist to visit these places, the president is encouraging disaster tourism in order to boost the economy. Most of the time, this type of tourism is seen as bad, as it involve people to travel for pure curiosity without the aim to help local directly. Another, disaster tourism attractions which has been discussed in the essay is the ruins of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Natural disaster tourism first took place in Greater New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina devasted the area, and has become famous since then. There has been both good and bad critics on the Katrina tours buses, some local find it unethical while others are happy to earn their living. (Slayton, S.L; Grief tourism 2006)
As said by (Salt 2003), authorities in countries affected by disaster find the disaster tourism very beneficial as it helps local people to re build their lives. By visiting these calamities places, tourists get an idea of the true reality about these affected areas. As per Ritchie (2004), disaster tourist can turned their visit into a positive life changing experience by not being a passive tourist but instead get down to business in improving affected people everyday life. By helping rescue team to rehabilitate locals, tourist will understand the importance of humanity and will take the best out of this experience
Disaster tourism is usually seen as an unforgivable voyeurism than a history lesson. It all depends on what tourists see and what they feel when showing up in disaster places where people are still suffering. Zhang et al (2002) Disaster tourism is not always directed towards dark motives, but instead can rebuild the country economic situation. In contrast, there is lot of motives why this tourism segment should not be encouraged, one of them is the voyeurism, and local may feel uncomfortable to see strangers staring at their tragedy (Lennon & Foley, 2000).
According to the World Tourism Organisation, climate change is due to global warming and this will bring key changes in the tourism industry. Global warming will therefore change the tourism industry forever. To conclude, the tourism industry is without doubt changing and it is up to authorities to bring positive impact from these changes. Many destinations could develop other types of tourism like disaster, grief or dark tourism. Solutions are always there as long as local people and authorities work together to overcome difficulties caused by climate change.
As a result of this tourism segment related with death at the centre point of the dark tourism concept, the essay described the consumer behaviour, which includes contemporary socio-cultural aspects of death. It is suggested by Sharpley (1999), that this will also lead to a better understanding of the consumer motives within the dark tourism.
REFERENCES
Lennon, J. & Foley, M. (2000) Dark Tourism - The Attraction of Death and Disaster.
London: Continuum.
Slayton,S.L. (2006) Hurrricane Kartrina: tear & grief tourism/grief tourism/ [online]. [Accessed 25 April 2011].available at : <http://www.grief-tourism.com/hurricane-katrina-fear-and-grief-tourism/>
Tarlow, P.E. (2005) Dark Tourism: the appealing 'dark' side of tourism and more. In
M.Novelli (ed) Niche Tourism - Contemporary Issues, Trends and Cases, Oxford: Elsevier: