Disasters Tourism: Approximation To The Touristic Exploitation Of The Prestige Disaster In The Costa Da Morte

Whether moved by curiosity, the notoriety of certain places, its historical value, etc., or by morbid curiosity, it’s a fact that from immemorial time pain, grief, death, inequality, hunger and so on a endless list of painful facts, have been commercialized in the tourist market. Some recent catastrophes are good examples of this, such as 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, hurricane Katrina in New Orleáns, the tsunami that devastated the Asian southeast or the Prestige oil spill. These four cases are different in the nature of the catastrophe, which is irrelevant to our subject, however they are comparable by its contemporary character, the high impact caused in the public opinion due to the intense following up of the mass media and, of course, the affectation of the touristic activity. As a result, it´s observed that the context is fundamental to explain the exploitation of the catastrophe and, particularly, the degree of destruction of the touristic infrastructure, the destination dependence of the tourism and the impact on the visitors’ affluence. Furthermore, it´s verified that, in the Costa da Morte case, versus the ethically negative connotations of the dark tourism, positive aspects are present, as in the arrival of volunteers, during the months that followed the catastrophe, being this one of the explicative factors of the overnight stays growing in the area.