Most tourism spots around the world involve some since of
tragedy. It is hard to imagine wanting to surround a vacation with thoughts of
the violence and death on a vacation but sites such like Auschwitz receive
soaring numbers of visitors on an annual basis. Why are we, as a society,
attached to these dark reminders of our past? Is it a pilgrimage to bury
condolences to the deceased or a new form of tourism that is grabbing hold of
the western worlds attentions?
Auschwitz is known to Adolf Hitler’s ultimate victory during
his reign. Now, what remains attracts thousands of visitors. Survivors come to
pay respects to loved ones lost and younger generations come to remember what
had happened within its gates. Without being able to visit the site, part of
history will slowly start to fade away. Auschwitz is not likely to lose any
popularity anytime soon, but it still leaves me to wonder why such a dark
memorial is a must see destination for tourists visiting Poland.
Like Auschwitz, the 9/11 Memorial in New York City is a constant reminder of the pain that a society has overcome. Also like Auschwitz, the 9/11 Memorial gains outstanding numbers of visitors who are willing to be reminded of the overwhelming loss the country faced in order to forget what happened. These tourist, I being one of them, are captivating by the visual representation of all who lost their lives. In an opposite way, the memorial is breathtaking and when you are physically standing even near it, there is a sense of hope, that society is and will keep moving forward.
With dark tourism comes a new form of etiquette for viewing
locations. Instead of an enthusiastic air, dark tourism has created pleasant,
yet somber atmosphere. Tourist are more than eager to gain an understanding of tragic events that occur at these depressing locations to get a tighter hold on history. Seeing places such as Auschwitz and the 9/11 Memorial create an impression on generations that suffered through the national crisises and serves to inform those who do not know that pain. Dark Tourism is on the rise as tourism becomes more and more intellectual rather than just for amusement.
Knowing Auschwitz is a place where many deaths took place, would you ever be interested in visiting there?
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting, especially in light of hurricane Sandy. Huffingtonpost, among others, are reporting people visiting the areas devastated by the storm as a form of tourism. I wonder, though, are people's motivations all that pure?
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