Dark Tourism in disaster areas

Philippe Sundermann, communications manager for the Moesa Region Staff Office, voiced concerns to Corriere del Ticino about the presence of snoopers and tourists impeding recovery efforts. Their presence raises questions about "dark tourism," a growing social and academic area of interest, as visitors flock to disaster areas.

Delving deeper, Claudio Visentin, professor at the Master of International Tourism at USI, sees this trend as a natural human impulse. Professor Visentin argues that curiosity about disaster zones is a complex phenomenon, not always signifying morbid fascination or approval of tragedy. He highlights the desire to witness firsthand places of significant historical and social impact, citing Hiroshima and Sarajevo as examples.

The case of Mesolcina, recently hit by a natural disaster, becomes a significant example of how sites of great suffering attract public and tourist interest, drawing a line between simple curiosity and more pronounced dark tourism.

The full article published in Corriere del Ticino is available at this link (Italian only).