Slum Tours… why not Disaster Tours?
Lately natural disasters have seemed be on an upward trajectory. I am actually kind of disapopointed that I have my current job, because I know I could be of much more help doing something of value in Sichuan right now. Even if it means digging graves or dragging bodies out of collapsed buildings. I know of some people doing those kinds of things there now.
This whole thought of travel to a disaster area reminded me of something darker – travel for the sole purpose of seeing people worse off than oneself. There are already slum tours in various parts of the world. Tour operators of slum tours say they put that money back into the slums and they bar picture taking. If most countries I have been to in Asia are any guide, people don’t often obey commands not to take pictures. Since they have tours of places where people live in crappy conditions, why don’t they have tours of places where people live in temporarily crappy conditions?
Sure, people might add to the burden of getting enough food and water to a disaster area as well as taking away wastes. But other than China, how many governments really care about dealing with a disaster? The USA certainly didn’t after Hurricane Katrina, and Myanmar isn’t now. As long as disaster tourists give governments a few more Euros to waste, why wouldn’t governments want these tourists in their countries? What are they afraid of? One of these tourists might actually help the common man or woman?
The corrupting influence of foreign money has weakened governments before and allowed their people to live better. I see disaster tours as a good way to do that in the future.
綠茶納豆パンダ 
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