The Good and The Bad in Visiting Disaster Sites
Man's capacity to imagine knows no bounds. Just a few decades ago, tourism usually involved scenic spots and exotic cultures, and pretty much nothing else. Lately, however, some of the more out-of-the-box tourists have thought of another way to travel - disaster adventure tourism.
Disaster adventure tourism is defined as visiting a place that has been or is going to be affected by a disaster or calamity. In the past, numerous tourists have visited Mt. Pinatubo when it erupted in the 1990s, while some have visited earthquake sites in China, Chile, and Indonesia during the more recent years. However, there are many critics of this practice.
These critics contend that disaster adventure tourism does nothing but promote Schadenfreude, or the inclination to marvel at the misery of other people. However, being a disaster adventure tourist can be turned into a positive, life-changing experience. Instead of being passive observers as one would if he was eco-tourist, an adventure tourist can take a proactive role in improving the lives of affected people.
Disaster adventure tourism is all about getting educated first-hand. A disaster adventure tourist, instead of staring at the scene idly in one corner, can participate in disaster preparation programs, rescue efforts, or rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. For example, the reconstruction effort in Haiti, Chile and some other parts of the world are still ongoing. Contacting the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or other non-government organizations is a good first step.
Participating as volunteers in such tasks will not only give the participant a greater understanding of the gravity of the situation, but also the importance of benevolence towards the rest of humanity. Aside from gaining passive knowledge, an adventure tourist will better understand the mechanics of human conflict, and thus be able to make better and more pervasive life decisions in the future.
Tina believes that the best way to help other people is by not getting in the way, that even the smallest acts, when done by many, may still make a big difference. For example, she helps conserve the environment by minimizing her carbon footprint. She does this by growing some of her food. She has an organic garden at home, where she grows crops like tomatoes in tomato cages. She also uses all-natural diatomaceous earth for a variety of purposes like repelling insect pests.