My Kind of Tourism

Have you ever heard of thanatourism? That would be travel to "macabre destinations," according to a recent article in The Atlantic, and it's a "booming global industry."

Sweet.

Thanatourism is basically my dream come true. It's like watching all my favorite documentaries, except you get to go and think about the violence, disease, and untimely death right in front of the places where it really happened! Ideally, I'd like to go to Jonestown, but I don't think they have a tourism department set up just yet. I'm gonna have to go with Auschwitz as a Plan B.

The thing about all these morbid sites is that their tourism programs focus on some sort of rectification -- whether it's giving money back to victims' families or setting up information centers to send out the message: "Hey, let's not do this again, okay?"

Not Cambodia. At sites of historic importance to the Khmer Rouge--you know, like killing fields and stuff--the Cambodian government is setting up shop just to bring in the dough. No apologies, no paying anything back, no moral to the story, just a sign that reads "Tourism will bring money and jobs."

Real nice, Cambodia. This is almost as cool as exploiting homeless people... except way, way worse.

Apparently there are plans to build a theme park with the money brought in from people going to stare at fields where mass murder took place. Check out this lady doing it:


She looks like a strong supporter of Cambodian water slides. (and maybe fake tits)

This is like thanatourism on speed. The only thing that can really one-up going and staring at killing fields is going on rides that were shamelessly funded by them. It's about as dark as you can get.

While I am totally into thanatourism (and really hoping someone comes out with a travel guide), this next level might actually be too much for me. Historic devastation I'm into, modern tragedy, not so much. Um, unless they put up a water park in Jonestown. Everyone knows that would be the coolest.