Vol. 1, No.

27, January 9, 2015

Contributed by: Prof. Priya Unadkat, Assistant Professor, MEFGI

Hidden face of tourism

Starting with a very well known Gujarati proverb,

Tourism generally is the act of travelling for the purpose of leisure but today it has the added purpose
of recreation, curiosity, historical studies, and many more.
From bustling modern metropolises to ancient temples, the high peaks of the mountains to the warm
waters of the Sea, world is colourful and diverse with growing tourism industry. Historic sightseeing,
Adventure travel, Cultural vacations, Spiritual tourism, Medical tourism, Wildlife tourism, Eco tourism
are all popular forms of tourism. But there are few forms which are yet to be recognized. This article
emphasizes on such less known forms.

War tourism
War tourism is travelling to the war zones for the purpose of historical studies. People are deliberately venturing into places
that were or are dangerous. Tourists visiting Golan Heights on the Israel-Syria border are increasing, to see the smoke rise (of
course from the safe distance...!!!). It is said to be turning garbage into gold by earning revenue from the melancholy of
suffered people.

Golden Gate Bridge, US

Tourists at Golan Heights

Tourists at Sichuan, China

(Earthquake site)

Disaster tourism

Rewarding students for good

performance during preplacement training

It is travelling to the destination with disasters with a purpose of curiosity. Disaster Tourism offers a unique experience beyond
the writings, pictures and media coverage to the actuality of circumstances for those who have exhausted the normal mundane
package holiday. Tourist buses were found in the neighbourhood that were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. There is a
separate website also www.disastertourism.co.uk, for the same. Travelling to disaster areas as part of a work group offering
assistance is one alternative to disaster tourism. Few sites for that are, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic monument, Boston
Marathon Bombing Memorial, 9/11 memorial, Zaveri Bazar (Mumbai), etc. It is receiving varied response by people. Some say
it is gloomy to see misery be turned into a profit centre while other argues that tourism to devastated areas can offer a boost
to the local economy and raise awareness of the incident.

Suicide tourism
Suicide tourism" describes the act of travelling to
another country for assisted suicide. Switzerland is
believed to be the hub for this industry. It has
been reported that between 2008 and 2012, 611
people went to Switzerland to commit suicide. And
this number is increasing at the worrying pace.
The probable reason for this is assisted suicide in
many other countries is strictly restricted while it
is not so in Switzerland. This imbalance may lead
to influx of people. In the US, the Golden Gate
Bridge in San Francisco is one another most
popular place for this.

Few other forms are,

Surrogacy / Fertility tourism
Known as subset of Medical tourism for the purpose of surrogacy.
Ghetto Tourism
For the young people interested in knowing specific lifestyle, music
and clothing.
Drug Tourism
For personal use or the fun of the thing, Capital of this tourism is
Amsterdam, Netherland where cannabis attract million young couples.
Shark Tourism
Appeals to the people who love sharks and their jaws.
Halal Tourism
Specifically popular in Islamic countries for holidays in accordance
with Islamic beliefs and practices.