Rebecca Manzi The war in Ukraine brings with it the phenomenon of dark tourism: more and more Westerners choose to visit places marked by conflict which seem to have an irrepressible charm
@ACF
The war in Ukraine, besides being a human and geopolitical tragedy, has given rise to one very controversial trend: dark tourism. More and more Westerners are visiting war-torn locations, such as the outskirts of Kyiv, to immerse themselves in a reality profoundly different from everyday life.
Among them is 23-year-old Alberto Blasco Ventas, a Spanish software engineer. Driven by curiosity and a desire to document this phase for his followers on YouTube, Alberto toured Moldova and Ukraine to reach iconic sites of the conflict, such as the Irpin Bridge that was destroyed in 2022 to stop the Russian advance.
“This is my first time in a war zone“, Alberto related with his fears and at the same time irresistibly fascinated by the experience.
Organized tours shed light on war’s realities
Organized tours, run by companies like War Tours and Capital Tours Kyiv, ferry tourists into war-damaged areas such as Borodianka and Bucha, where atrocities were committed. The tours cost between $165 and $275 for day trips, while the more adventurous-to the front lines-cost as much as $3,600. A portion of the money goes to the military, and organizers say it’s a way to keep memories of what happened alive.
Local guides strive to create awareness.
Although the phenomenon has earned criticism from those who think it ghoulish, or disrespectful, most local guides consider it an opportunity to raise more global awareness and economically support affected communities. Some residents, like Mykhaylyna Skoryk-Shkarivska, Bucha’s former deputy mayor, understand that for them this kind of tourism is a new reality to absorb. She says others consider this “money stained with blood.”.
Demand for this kind of tour will be growing,” said Mariana Oleskiv, head of the National Tourism Development Agency. Pre-conflict Ukraine appealed with such attractions as Chernobyl, which is now unreachable for visitors for safety reasons. All the attention is currently shifted to war-themed memorial tours intended to show reflection of the tragedy and rebuild the image of the country.
Ukraine looks ahead to a future in tourism
In 2023, Ukraine welcomed four million foreign visitors, twice as many as last year. Although local tourism is still leading because of the travel restrictions for men of fighting age, the country looks at the future: Agreements with large tourism platforms point toward the revival of this sector in the post-war period.
