The ethics of dark tourism

“Only the dark, dark night shows to my eyes the stars.”

In recent years, a niche market of travel experience has emerged in response to the popularization of streaming series such as HBO’s Chernoybl and Netflix’s The Dark Tourist. The phenomena known as ‘dark tourism’ has witnessed millions of wanderlusts descend upon the location of some of the most horrid events to transpire in human history, ranging from assassinations, incarcerations, and ethnic cleansing to wars and disasters (both natural and accidental). But, why? Why have tourists become so enamored by destinations synonymous with the most sensitive pain-points of human history? Moreover, is this type of travel ethical? Should we as an international community encourage this behavior?

In short, I say yes. And here is why:

I believe many individuals have a confined understanding of what it means to ‘travel’, and it revolves around a single concept: disconnection. Disconnection from work. Disconnection from daily life and routine. Disconnection from bothersome neighbors and relatives. Disconnection from the roots of your stress, pains, and perceived unhappiness. Ultimately, disconnection from reality. And while this is all completely fine and justified, it still leaves a sizable opportunity of travel unaccounted for: enhancing cross-cultural knowledge and consciousness. You may be asking yourself, “can’t we just use the internet for that?” or “didn’t we learn enough during those dry history lessons in elementary school?”. In part, yes; but, reading versus seeing and experiencing have two drastically different levels of impact on an individual. Academia highlights that individuals retain roughly 10% of what they read*, but 30% of what they see and nearly 80% of what they experience. In terms of personal impact, it is the difference between reading of the 17 million Holocaust deaths and standing in the cold, lifeless remains of Nazi regime crematories running your hands over scratch marks left behind by victims as hydrogen cyanide filled their lungs.

It requires a conscious choice not to disconnect during travel, but rather to more deeply connect with reality; to challenge our perceived understanding of the world in which we live and to grow through learning, especially in these places of great tragedy. To deliberately avoid these destinations, or to condemn those who do visit, in my opinion is to trivialize the sobering events that took place. Human history is riddled with inconceivable and harsh realities, but as citizens of the world we maintain a duty to acknowledge, examine, and learn from its full scope, and not just the fragmented pieces we reflect favorably upon. To explore Old Town Kraków and bask in the beauty of its relic design, or to dine out in the Kazimierz and Podgorze neighborhoods (formerly the Jewish quarter and ghetto sites), without visiting Schindler’s Factory and Auschwitz-Birkenou is to evade entirely the most historically significant event in human civilization and the contextual roles these establishments played in its progression. At its core dark tourism thrusts you from your comfort zone and confronts you with unpleasantry; in these moments you are no longer simply a tourist, but rather a conscious traveler. To expose ourselves to these environments is to honor and express compassion for those fallen and those most affected by these tragedies; moreover, it challenges us to think intently about the standing of our current international landscape and to be more thoughtful and deliberate in action for the future. The alternative, in the words of Winston Churchill, is to “[fail] to learn from history [and be] condemned to repeat it”.

* In the internet age, recall memory—the ability to spontaneously call information up in your mind—has become less necessary. Thus, the slope of our “forgetting curve’ has steepened past any point in recent human history, and our ability to retain read material is decreasing.

The Etiquettes of Dark Tourism

Regardless of your motivation behind visiting these somber sites, it is important to acknowledge that the nature of these experiences are very different from those of other types of travel; as a result they demand a different set of expectations and behaviors to bear in mind. Thankfully, The Washington Post identified a basic list (https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/how-navigate-etiquette-dark-tourism/) of recommendations to help you navigate proper etiquette at these sites — no matter how dark the place.

Be mindful of your surroundings and forget the selfies When traveling to sites like Auschwitz, Chernobyl, and Japan’s Aokigahara (suicide) forest, remember these are not merely museums and open-air sites, but additionally places renown for their large death tolls and tragic events transpired. Nearly two million people visit the Auschwitz concentration camp annually, and the energy of people beginning their four-hour guided experience is vastly different from that of when they exit. Be mindful of the heavy atmospheres affiliated with each site and be respectful of those present to honor and commemorate the sites’ victims. Difficult heritage sites such as these are not the same as popularized tourist attractions like Rome’s Trevi Fountain — thus, dark tourism and selfie sticks do not compliment one another as they may elsewhere.

Do not touch the monuments (unless otherwise specified) It is no secret that overexposure to the human race has led to the erosion of many significant natural and historically preserved manmade artifacts. Thus, provided the significance of these dark heritage sites in particular, it is critically important to best preserve them to enable future generations to visit, experience, and learn from as well. One such location this is especially true for are graveyards and cemeteries, such as Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York, USA. Show respect not only for those fallen and directly impacted by the events transpired at these locations, but for your fellow visitors, present and future, as well.

Educate yourself history versus fiction It is pretty evident that what we witness on television, social media, and online is not always true. What you may think you know from movies and folklore are probably not the entirely true story. To better equip yourself with cultural sensitivity, and to best prepare mentally for visits to these sites, familiarize yourself with a historical overview of said places beforehand.

Popular Dark Tourist Destinations

Attached are some links to help get you started planning your next trip to some of the world’s most popular dark tourist destinations.

• Alcatraz, San Francisco, USA https://tinyurl.com/rpy5p47

• Anne Frank House, Netherlands https://tinyurl.com/vwk457r

• Auschwitz, Poland https://tinyurl.com/u4zdyfd

• Berlin, Germany https://tinyurl.com/ubofejd

• Chernobyl, Ukraine https://tinyurl.com/wvnjtrt

• Choeung Ek Killing Fields, Cambodia https://tinyurl.com/w4wbze

• Hiroshima, Japan https://tinyurl.com/shamgyx

• Pablo Escobar Tour Medellin, Colombia https://tinyurl.com/r2n2lg3

• Paris Catacombs, France https://tinyurl.com/tgh4nbq

• Pompeii, Italy https://tinyurl.com/t87g22u