Dark tourism, disaster tourism and slum tourism

@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
April 18, 2012 12:01pm CST
Some time ago I was looking for some sites about travelling, and I found a site that described unusual kinds of tourism called dark tourism, disaster tourism and slum tourism. People who are interested in dark tourism visit places related to death and suffering for instanse the death camps from the second worldwar, Hiroshima or Chernobyl. Disaster tourists visit places where a disaster has happened for instanse a hurricane or an earthquake. Slum tourists visit poor areas in order to see how poor people live. What do you think about those kinds of tourism? Would you be interested in that kind of tourism?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
22 Apr 12
Porco, i am not interested to visit those dark areas. For me, those areas are sad areas and i don't want to remember back those sad moments when any of the disaster happened. I prefer to visit nice and interesting places for relaxing. Besides that, i am also interested in visiting shopping malls. Maybe i should put myself as a shopping tourism or relax tourism. How about you, you are into what type of tourism?
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
22 Apr 12
No, I am not interested in that kind of tourism. When I went to Lithuania I visited one place that belongs to that category (the KGB museum in Vilnius) but aside from that I prefer to visit beautiful places and interesting places where I can relax and have a good time. I like to visit the famous places that I have heard or read about, and I also like to visit some of the small and unknown places that few tourists find. I am interested in a lot of different things and I love to explore a new place Like you I like to visit the shopping malls when I travel to another place. I always buy presents for my relatives and my friends at home and I also buy some things for myself.
• Mexico
21 Apr 12
Generally, when you've had enough of travelling around to the most common places most of people cannot afford to, you start to perceive it monotonous and its special attractive just vanishes off. Therefore, you MUST look out to see where else you can find to have your desires satisfied. After you've been in Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi, Mexico, Argentina, Dubai, etc ... you no longer feel any kind of relieving in going then to Berlin or Madrid for example, and since at that time everything looks the same, these unusual kind of tourism start to rise. The appeal of tourism and travelling in general is to get out of your routine, going from Amsterdam to Copenhagen will certainly not allow you to notice a big difference. In a nutshell, it all stems from necessity for "new stuff", rather than from morbidity.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
22 Apr 12
I think that it a very good point. I believe that some of the people who have travelled a lot lose interest in the "ordinary" sights and start looking for something new. I can't imagine that I am going to get to the point where I get bored and start looking for that kind of experiences. There are so many countries in this world and I think that every country has something to offer. Of course there are some similaries between the different places, but I am still interested in visiting as many places as possible and every country is a new adventure. I might not feel that way when I have been to every continent, but at the moment I definately haven't lost my interest in the "ordinary" kind of travelling.
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
18 Apr 12
No I would not be interested at all to travel to dark tourism. that would be scary. I would travel to nice places.There are a lot of nice places in this world to see that going to places like dark disaster or slum places
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
19 Apr 12
I also prefer to visit nice places. I visited one place that belongs to the the category dark tourism and that was the KGB museum in Lithuania where we can see the old prison cells and the execution chamber. I visited the place to learn more about the history of the Lithuania, but it was a very depressing experience and I was deeply affected by the things that I saw inside the building. Today I usually choose to visit beautiful and nice places instead. I think that there are a lot of interesting and nice places to visit, and disaster tourism ot slum tourism don't attract me.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 12
I would not want a trip to see dark places or where disaster has happened every day all long. During a trip I would visit one or two places where something awful had happened. In Europe there are some concentration camps from World War Two. I visited the two in Poland, the one in Germany and the one in the Czech Republic. I felt so sad for the unfortunate people that were there in World War Two. In Amsterdam I visited Anne Frank's house. I also visited Corrie Ten Boom's house. She was a Dutch lady that saved many Jewish people in World War Two. In Cape Town I had a walking trip around a poor township. They paid per month want I paid per night. The people were poor but happy. An Irish charity was building them some new homes and helping them.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Apr 12
I haven't visited any of the concentration camps, I have only read about them and seen the pictures. My husband has visited some of them. I would like to visit Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam. My friend wanted to visit the house, but he gave up when he saw the line of people waiting outside the house. It must be a very popular place among the tourists. I have visited the website, and it is a very good website, but I am would like to visit the house in person. Corrie Ten Boom's house also sounds like an interesting place to visit.
@superbadx (484)
• Malaysia
18 Apr 12
Well, i can't afford to visit places overseas in the first place. But, i think i would be interested in these kinds of tourism. It's actually unique and i am a person who like to get as much experience i can get before the day i am old enough to sit on a chair drinking tea or coffee without doing anything. If i have the cash to do it, i would without any hesitation, but maybe i would go for a normal vacation first, just in case i would actually die.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
18 Apr 12
Yes, it is definately a unique form of tourism and you would see something that most people haven't seen, because they prefer the "ordinary" kind of tourism where you visit the famous sights. Personally I prefer to visit the beautiful and famous places instead of poor areas or places where a disaster has happened. I live in Europe and so far I have never left Europe, but I am planning to do that in the future.
@UIUI356 (42)
• China
19 Apr 12
I do not like these kinds of tourism.Even though it is exciting.But i do not think it is safe.Like many Chinese people,i think travel should be happy and relex.However ,that is just my own opinion.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
19 Apr 12
I also prefer to visit places where I can relax and be happy. I like to visit the famous sights and the places that I have heard about and I like to visit the beautiful places around the world. Some of the disaster tourists pick their destinations according the news about disasters, I pick the countries that I am interested in because of their history, culture and natural scenery
@petersum (4522)
• United States
18 Apr 12
I can't afford to visit anywhere! However, I did wonder if Athens, Greece fits into any of those categories. There definitely aren't the numbers of conventional tourists. Financial disaster tourism?
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
18 Apr 12
Financial disaster tourism that would be a new concept I want to go back to Greece. Last time I was ill and I only saw a small part of Thessaloniki and I had to cancel the visit to Athens.