The Ethics of Thanotourism

[erino]

Millions of people stop to see where the World Trade Center once stood in New York and purchase souvenirs of the experience.
Others take guided tours of World War II concentration camps that have been turned into museums.
The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast has tourists paying to spend a night in a house where a double homicide occurred, including a stay in the room where Abby Borden was found slain with multiple hatchet blows to her head and neck.

There are tours available in the UK, where you can visit the scenes of Jack the Ripper's bloody crimes that occurred in Whitechapel in the late 19th Century.
In 2002, the Ukraine opened Chernobyl up for controlled tours.
Tourists visit Pompeii to see casts formed in volcanic ash that reveal the tortured death throes of men, women and children from nearly 2,000 years ago.


Thanotourism, necrotourism, grief tourism, dark tourism...call it what you will. It is the act of planning visits or vacations to the sites of infamous crimes, mass murders, disasters, etc. This specific form of tourism I'm writing about isn't about going to places of paranormal activity (though in some cases the two are linked). This is tourism specifically for visiting a sight of human death or suffering. The practice is not new, but recent years have shown a rise in this form of tourism.

Do you feel that it is healthy or unhealthy behavior? Is it disrespectful? Is it educational? Is it just us exploring our own mortality or is it nothing more than rubber-necking while passing a car accident? Is it perhaps more like the need some people have to see a deceased relative in their coffin during funeral proceedings, so that they can accept what has happened?
Do (or would) you participate in thanotourism? Why or why not? Do you feel that some tourists are visiting locations too soon after a tragedy? Would you feel offended seeing Virginia Tech, Columbine, the World Trade Center or any similar site from recent history listed alongside tourist locations whose incidents happened long enough ago that society has begun to heal and forget?


A blog of my myspace friend Dark Destinations www.myspace.com/darkdestinations

I thought it might be a fun subject to banter on if anyone was interested in answering.

[davidfritzcaiprs]

Myself I do not like the paid tour idea of some tour companies putting these places on a tour. Then again that is how most people will visit these places. And yes they do need to be visited! by all and never forgotten. I been to a few of them myself not on tours just to go see them. These are the places that stick out in cultural history. There are other places that do not stick out that people walk by everyday where there are mass killings and brutality of man against man and they do not even know they are on a spot where that took place.

[erino]

I agree with you, they are important to be seen. Some more then others, like The World Trade Center/ww2concentration camps over Lizzy Borden or jack the rippers murder scenes- for history and educational purposes. I do NOT think things like Virginia Tech or columbine fit into this list at all, nor is it appropriate to ever create a tour like situation surrounding the tragedies, as the schools still function.

I think Pompeii, The World Trade Center, Concentration Camps, all fit into one category– Educational.

Lizzy borden, Jack the rippers tours, ect- “Thanotourism, necrotourism, grief tourism, dark tourism...call it what you will”

[lildebcaiprs]

I agree as well, some of these places need to be visited. I have been to Gettysburg a few times; it's part of American History and was important to me; like traveling the Freedom Trail in Boston. I wouldn't consider the Lizzie Borden home historic, by any means.

[riseup]

As with many things of this nature, there is a fine line between educational opportunities and sensationalism or voyeurism When I think about this I'm reminded of the old adage, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." In that regard, visiting sites that illustrate the principles of hate, bigotry, intolerance or religious persecution are reminders that although we may live in a more enlightened age, we must be reminded of our responsibility to keep evolving as a culture and recall those who suffered to that end.

I do feel however, that a gray area exists when dealing with things like ghost tours and such as most DO deal with sites of human death and suffering. The very definition of a haunting would bear witness to that type of traumatic event in a person's life. While there is that sense of history that is conveyed, there is still a measure of entertainment involved in the presentation. Is this disrespectful to some degree? When we talk about events like VT, Columbine, and Ground Zero, we view them in a different way because the events are still fresh in our minds unlike events that might have taken place many, many years or centuries ago. I would list Hiroshima in this category as well. My point being - I wonder how people will view those locations a century from now. Will they become the tourist attractions of the future?

[lildebcaiprs]

Good points, riseup. Seems like just about everything becomes a tourist attraction eventually.

I live in a 'tourist area'; Cape Cod. I swear that sometimes, all you have to do is say "One of the Kennedys stood on this spot on Main Street in Hyannis." and you have an instant tourist attraction! LOL

We have a tour in Barnstable Village. We go through the history as well as the hauntings. There is 400 +/- years of history here and people have died due to countless circumstances. We tell their stories, respectfully.

As far as the entertainment factor, yeah it's there - every story has an entertainment factor, even if it's not about a haunting. The thing that bothers me are the people that want all the nasty, gorey details to get a cheap thrill. To me, that's when it becomes disrespectful.

[riseup]

Deb, I think it's part of the human condition to want to be scared - but from a safe distance, know what I mean? Then afterwards we can all go home at night, have a stack of Oreos and get a good night's sleep. That's the attraction with horror movies and such. They take us places we dare dream of and then let us go on our way safely. When the story is REAL however, it just heightens the rush. BTW...I live 5 minutes away from the Borden House. I find it funny that I can stay there overnight for $75, but I can go on a ghost hunt for $125 (not counting cost of souvenier axes, of course).

Where is that place on Main St. one of the Kennedy's stood? I want to stand there too and take a picture!!!!!! C'mon...don't make me go up there and find you!!

[riseup]

(tongue firmly in cheek, of course)

[lostsoul]

Riseup, I love your responses!

I am not, nor will I ever be, one of the sorts of people who delights in horror...whether that be real or imagined. I do not like to be scared out of my wits, not because I am a coward but because I choose to direct my thoughts and spirit towards things that move me in a positive direction rather than a negative one.

I do not think that one needs to immerse oneself in the darkest parts of humanity to realize that we should not repeat those actions. If someone is visiting places for their historical significance or to stop and offer up silent prayers for what others had to endure, I see value there...but not if the objective is for a rush or if people actually enjoy being where others have suffered, then I think that is shameful.

[tomydactnfigure]

::Tom is shamed::

[davidfritzcaiprs]

I agree. visit out of respect for those that indured what they did, so hopefully it will not happen again. To go to these places for a thrill is disgusting in my own point of view. Many places have tragady associated with them, it can not be avoided! It can be a positive influence to the living if the individual can look at the past and leave it in the past without bringing it into the present.

[lildebcaiprs]

LOL - well riseup............go onto Main Street going west, then walk to----------->THERE then -------------------> go right about 50 feet, and you're in a Kennedy spot ;D

Ahhh, that's so special!

[riseup]

I will punch that in to my KPS (Kennedy Positioning System) and follow those coordinates. I will then turn at the "second star on the right and then straight into morning".

One question....will this land me in a bar? (bada boom)

Kennedy spotting aside.....I think this is a phenomenal discussion, by the way.

[erino]

I wish I’d come up with it myself, no this did get me thinking a lot and I’ve gone back and forth on the subject a few times. Really I think I would visit one of these places, for what reason.. ??
To say a silent prayer, defiantly, to see even if the area FEELS any different from others( but like David said, we walk by places murders, fights, accidents occur all the time and take no head) and probably just to say I’ve been.
Then some of the other responses on the literal blog got me thinking about the ethics of commercializing the tragedies, what it does to the seriousness of ghostly research, ect. Really I think time is the biggest factor. If I thought their was money in it, and no family members were left to take offence (ie the killer had killed um all off) And I had the start up… I mean.. I think it would be awesome to create some kind of haunted museum out of an old murder house.. maybe..
And then I think..
WHERE IS YOU COMPASSION! That is wrounnng. It could be dangerrrrous. So I never post a serious response.


What about the people who commit horrible crimes that want recognition. Like jack the ripper, his victims should they still be around, probably don’t enjoy reliving there murder scene with each tour (but really they might be doing that with out the tour who knows) but jack is probably loving the tour, what’s to be said of pleasing the mastermind with all the hype?
Really, a lot of people don’t think about that, because he is DEAD and time heals all wounds.. and it just doesn’t seem like a huge deal to those who go.
I know what would be running through my mind on a tour.. and it would be.. how the hades can you be that insane that you kill all these people, or your parents. I think just the thought of Jack and Lizzy are scarier then any ghost you’d come across investigating or touring the locations..


I think it’s best to use your own discretion, if you love ghostly tourism, and you plan your vacations around creepy events in history, more power to you! You love it, just try to keep your mind in a good place.
And if you think its nasty and disrespectful, stay away from the places, and plan your vacations with people who like…
Other stuff

I just thought it was funny this guy posted this on his blog, because obviously all his friends are interested in DARK DESTINATIONS and I didn’t think he’d get too much variety, or anyone really wholly against it. But everyone’s got a different opinion or angle of view I guess
Even when you think you have no cash.. you always have your 2cents
spend it where ya wana

[davidfritzcaiprs]

Fantastic post Erino! You said it all in this last post you wrote!