Warning: spoilers below for Netflix’s series The Dark Tourist
Netflix recently aired a new docu-series called The Dark Tourist, hosted by New Zealand journalist David Farrier. It chronologues Farrier’s investigation of various dark tourist destinations across the globe and discusses why these places of tragedy and destruction have become popular vacation spots for many. In a style reminiscent of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown (but swap regular fish with fish from atomic lakes), this show ventures to answer the question of why we are attracted to the dark and morbid. Being someone who has always embraced both, I quickly became a fan of the series.
But what exactly is dark tourism? Dark tourism (aka black tourism or grief tourism) is type of subculture, a subculture being a group within a larger culture, usually with more niche beliefs or interests (you can learn more about what a subculture is here). This subculture of travel-goers are those rare few who save up their vacation days not to relax on a beach but to visit places historically associated with death and tragedy. These places include nuclear war zones, a death worshipping cult in Mexico, and over-the-top Jeffrey Dahmer tours. These are the places Farrier visits each episode of the series. Although it may seem like a recent phenomenon, this trend of traveling to the unknown and macabre has been around for much longer than one may assume. Just think of all the tourists that flock to the Colosseum in Rome or visit Auschwitz, the WW2 concentration camp. Both places are riddled with a history of death and violence but are considered classic tourist destinations.
A still from when Farrier visits Indonesia and witnesses the cleaning of a mummified corpse.
The dark tourism subculture arguably gave way for the subgenre of “extreme” travel TV we get from media outlets like VICE or the docu-series Our America With Lisa Lang. Perhaps for the same reason shows like My Strange Addiction exist, people enjoy watching “the other” and media companies and tourism are exploiting it to profit off of the desire to watch the unwatchable and visit the unvisitable. This is something Farrier is critical of throughout the series, continually calling out his privilege and the privilege of the fellow dark tourists around him. The show acts as a reminder of the privilege we have in the Western world to not only be able to travel to these places, but watch this show from the comfort of our homes as a form of entertainment. These regions are not our reality, but they are for so many other people. The show is a helpful reminder that we should not take the basic liberties of freedom and democracy for granted. It balances this message nicely with Farrier’s quick wit and more sensational episodes that cover vampires in New Orleans and people who are prepping for an impending apocalypse.
Many, if not all dark tourist destinations, have a pseudo-economy that is built around making money from people visiting these natural disasters or government-shut down areas. There are tour guides and bus drivers whose sole job is to lead people through nuclear bomb sites. This obscure type of tourist industry is especially seen in the capital city of Myanmar, Naypyidaw. Farrier explains that this city was built for the sole purpose of being the country’s capital and to encourage tourism. The only problem is, no one visits there. This is because of the heavy surveillance that remains in the previously totalitarian region. It’s hard to encourage people to visit if, like Farrier, you’re being trailed by a woman with a camera documenting your every move.
Naypyidaw’s infamous 20 lane highway that leads to the capital’s government buildings.
It seems unreal that regular people visit war-torn countries or off-the-grid locations for vacation, but at almost every stop Farrier is joined by other tourists who happen to be on the same tour. Perhaps people visit these regions for the same reason some go free-climbing or the guys from Jackass do basically anything. It’s exciting, gives one a rush and offers a form of culture-shock one can’t get anywhere else. It definitely illuminates all the death and darkness that surrounds many renowned tourist destinations people celebrate and the industries that surround them.
For more information, check out these links:
Dark Tourism in your own region.
David Farrier’s Twitter and Instagram.
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