Disaster tourism involves visiting sites where natural or human-made disasters have occurred. It can have both positive and negative impacts. This document discusses disaster tourism and proposes guidelines for an ethics code. It defines disaster and dark tourism, provides examples of popular disaster sites, and discusses push/pull factors and potential problems. The key frameworks of "do no harm", risk/benefit analysis, and utilitarianism are examined. Existing tourism ethics codes are summarized, and Kelman proposes four preliminary guidelines for a disaster tourism ethics code focusing on safety, risk imposition, following authorities, and donations.

1. DISASTER
TOURISM
Dr Akhila K Chandran
Research Ethics Scholar
Centre for Ethics
Yenepoya Deemed to be University

2. Route Map
1. Introduction
2. Dark tourism- Synonym, definition, categories
3. Disaster tourism- definition
4. Reasons for disaster tourism
5. Popular disaster sites
6. Dark Tourism: Gruesome destinations in India
7. Offensive or inappropriate behaviours
8. Push factors & Pull factors
9. Problems in disaster tourism
10. The negative impacts of disaster tourism
11. Main 3 ethical frameworks
12. Tourism-related Codes of Ethics
13. Summary of the guidelines
14. Conclusion

3. Introduction
Many disasters not only involve tourists, but
also attract tourists, with the disaster
situations and their commemorations leading
to “disaster tourism”
Disaster tourism can have positive and
negative impacts, often simultaneously

4. Dark tourism
• Synonym: Black tourism,
Thanatourism or Grief
tourism
• Definition:
• John Lennon and Malcolm
Foley-
• “The representation of
inhuman acts, and how
these are interpreted for
visitors”.
• Kevin Fox Gotham-
• “The circulation of people
to places characterized by
distress, atrocity, or sadness
and pain.”
Categories:
1. Grave tourism
2. Holocaust tourism
3. genocide tourism
4. prison and
persecution site
tourism
5. communism tourism
6. cult-of-personality
tourism
7. Cold War & Iron
Curtain tourism
8. nuclear tourism
9. disaster area tourism
10. Icky medical tourism
https://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/destinations/categories

5. Disaster
tourism
• Wright And Sharpley-
“A practice of visiting locations at which an
environmental disaster, either natural or man-
made has occurred”.
• Kevin Fox Gotham-
“Disaster tourism” denotes situations where
the tourism product is generated within, and
from, the aftermath of a major disaster or
traumatic event”.
https://tourismteacher.com/disaster-tourism-what-why-and-where/

6. Reasons for
undertaking
disaster tourism
Pirveli (2008) by authors Dorota Rucińska and Maciej
Lechowicz
Motivations for disaster
tourism
Specific motivations for disaster tourism
Need to change location Space and time compression.
Recreational needs Individual preferences.
Cognitive needs Global interest in the world.
Need for human contact Contact with people harmed by natural
disasters.
Need for new experiences Experiencing emotions.
General social needs Expansion of social awareness.
Additional tourism conditions Economic status, need to aid others.

7. Few popular
disaster
tourism sites
• Chernobyl power plant
• Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
• Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site
• Hurricane Katrina
• Pompeii
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/g1288/8-disaster-tourism-sites/

8. Photos From the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster
Chernobyl disaster-
Chernobyl powerplant
https://images.app.goo.gl/MPjTacTujWBeuFDfA
https://images.app.goo.gl/7QDVpjd3kuhv2qnR9

9. https://images.app.goo.gl/JFFZkEC1E7pE6fJYA
March 24, 1989:
Valdez Spill Causes
Environmental
Catastrophe
https://images.app.goo.gl/Bj6xCbTadFVYjbWRA

10. Bikini Atoll
Nuclear Test
Site
https://images.app.goo.gl/KBW1NNx6XS2Rrn6B6
https://images.app.goo.gl/bJRTuPmz9Vi5JxV4A

11. Hurricane
Katrina
https://images.app.goo.gl/uYviqUderguDZVXJ8
https://images.app.goo.gl/dofGwsdnyJdWo6RbA

12. Pompeii
https://images.app.goo.gl/vrgR3BooruQtXrJt8
https://images.app.goo.gl/NhZyWiMay7xLMvHE7
https://images.app.goo.gl/uwhKqUdVp1oDCS1A8
Archaeological site in southern Italy’s Campania
region, near the coast of the Bay of Naples.

13. Dark Tourism:
Gruesome
destinations
in India
1. Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. Jallianwala
bagh.
2. Kala Pani, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands.
3. Roopkund, Uttarakhand. Skeletal
remains at Roopkund lake.
4. Taj Mahal, Agra. Taj Mahal.
5. Kuldhara Village, Rajasthan. Kuldhara
village.
6. Union Carbide subsidiary plant,
Bhopal. Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/lifestyle/travel-gruesome-indian-destinations-that-will-give-you-
nightmares-in-your-sleep-549161

14. Offensive or inappropriate behaviours
• Photographing people in moments of
sorrow
• Smiling and laughing around those
experiencing hardship
• Treating people as if they are
museum exhibits
• Making inappropriate remarks
• Wearing disrespectful clothes
• Using inappropriate language
• Committing to disaster tourism for
personal gain (e.g. personal
satisfaction, to enhance CV etc)
• Making money from others’
hardships
• Talking loudly about unrelated issues
• Showing general signs of disrespect

15. Yuill, Stephanie Marie. 2003. Dark Tourism: Understanding Visitor Motivation at Sites of Death and Disaster, Master’s Thesis. College
Station, TX: Texas A&M University.
Push factors &
Pull factors
Dominant push factors:
Interest in heritage and
history that incorporates
understanding one’s
identity; guilt
(encompassing survivor’s
guilt); shame (including
being part of the group
which might be implicated
in having caused the
disaster); seeking novelty;
and nostalgia.
Main pull factors:
Education, remembrance,
and sacralizing the
disaster-related site,
events, or objects—
meaning that society
labels an event, site, or
object as important,
thereby drawing in
visitors.

16. Problems in
disaster
tourism
• Inherent conflict between the terms ‘disaster’ and
‘tourism’.
• Poor tourist behaviour
• Lack of respect towards the local community and its
peoples.
• Tourists may also be a hindrance instead of a help.
• They may get in the way of lifesaving efforts or put
themselves in unnecessary danger.
• Tourists may also use up resources which should be
prioritised for those in need, such as food and water.

17. The negative
impacts of
disaster tourism
Immediate post-impact
phase (focused on
response):
– Interfering with
disaster-related activities
such as rescues and
recoveries.
– Competing for
resources with disaster-
affected locals and
disaster-related
personnel.
– Causing physical
damage.
Both the immediate and
the long-term post-
impact phases (covering
response and recovery):
– Endangering people.
– Revenues not staying
locally.
– Interfering with criminal
investigations.
– Causing psychological
harm.
Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and
Disasters. 2009 Nov;27(3):272-96.

18. So, is it really ethical to visit
sites of sorrow?
Or
To photograph people who
are in moments of grief?

19. Main 3 ethical frameworks:
Do no harm
Risk/benefit
analysis
Utilitarianism
Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism. International Journal of Mass Emergencies
and Disasters. 2009 Nov;27(3):272-96.

20. 1. Do no harm:
i. Means assessing the possible outcomes from actions taken and avoiding
any harm. That must include possible harm from inaction, which in this
case would be avoiding disaster tourism.
ii. Fox (2001) examines some limitations of the “do no harm” ethic, noting
that it cannot apply to all dimensions of disasters.
Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism. International Journal of Mass Emergencies
and Disasters. 2009 Nov;27(3):272-96.

21. • 2. Risk/benefit analysis:
• Used in evaluating the ethics of research protocols, including for disaster
and tourism research.
• These analyses attempt to
• Ensure that any risks taken are justified in comparison to the expected
benefits.
• Determine that all risks are managed and mitigated as much as feasible.
• One drawback with risk/benefit analyses for disaster work is that social
trust of the authorities by the public affects risk/benefit perception and can
limit acceptance and applicability of the analysis (Siegrist and Cvetkovich
2000).
Siegrist, Michael and George Cvetkovich. 2000. “Perception of Hazards: The Role of Social Trust and Knowledge”. Risk Analysis 20(5): 713-720.

22. 3. Utilitarianism:
i. It refers to the greatest happiness or good for the greatest number or trying
to maximize total benefit.
ii. McNamee, Sheridan, and Buswell (2001) critique utilitarianism for leisure
activities, which equally applies to tourism.
iii. Hartman (2003) discusses the challenging ethics of utilitarianism for triage,
an important part of disaster response.
Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism. International Journal of Mass Emergencies
and Disasters. 2009 Nov;27(3):272-96.

23. Tourism-
related Codes
of Ethics
UN World Tourism Organization (2001) developed “the
Global Code of Ethics for Tourism” that outlined needed
and useful principles, although few apply directly to
disasters.
UNWTO 2001, p. 4- “tourism activities should be
conducted in harmony with the attributes and traditions
of the host regions and countries”
In the article “Kelman: Disaster Ethics Developing a
Code of Ethics for Disaster Tourism ”, he proposed 4
guidelines after a thorough discussion from a vast
literature. They are
1. Safety
2. Risk imposition
3. Authorities and rules
4. Donation
Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism. International Journal of
Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 2009 Nov;27(3):272-96.

24. Kelman I, Dodds R. Developing a code of ethics for disaster tourism.
International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 2009
Nov;27(3):272-96.
Summary of
Guidelines
The first proposal for a Code of Ethics for Disaster
Tourism comprises the following guidelines.
1. Priority in disasters should be given to the
safety of disaster-affected people and
responders, encompassing rescue and body
recovery operations.
2. One individual should not put another
individual at increased risk without consent.
3. The authorities in a disaster-affected area and
their rules and regulations should be obeyed
within reason.
4. Any donations or assistance offered to disaster-
affected areas should be considered within the
local context and should also involve nearby
but non disaster-affected communities.

25. Conclusion
• Discussion on ethical issues of disaster
tourism is limited.
• Based on existing disaster and tourism
codes, four guidelines are suggested for
disaster tourism by Kelman.
• There should be consultative processes to
further develop and implement the code.
And these process should include continuing
research to ensure that the code would not
result in more problems than it solves.