About:
- Meaning: Disaster tourism is the act of traveling to a disaster area as a matter of curiosity.
- Criticism:
- Often, visitors misbehave at sites. If it's a historical site where many have died, one may see travellers taking selfies, making faces, or ignoring the fact that there were many deaths here.
- There is a risk of actual physical danger. E.g. In a flood, live wires may be dragging under the water, ready to electrocute an unsuspecting tourist.
- Their presence could hamper lifesaving efforts. Tourist vehicles could obstruct rescue efforts and again.
Disaster tourism in Karnataka:
- Over the past few days, many curious people — both locals and outsiders — began visiting some of the disaster-hit areas in and around Madikeri in Kodagu district of Karnataka.
- This is acting as a hurdle to the free movement of relief supplies as the existing narrow roads were choked with vehicles, and people taking photographs.
