Ukraine has been at war for more than 1,000 days. Still, some people, when they see images of bullet-riddled buildings, bombed-out streets, shattered bridges, cemeteries, and rusting tanks, don’t see the traces of war—they see a perfect place to spend their next vacation.
The phenomenon isn’t new. Dark tourism is a well-documented trend. For years, Ukraine has welcomed travelers eager to visit Chernobyl near Pripyat, the site of the nuclear disaster 38 years ago.
A country at war? Yes, but also a tourist destination. When people think of Ukraine, some see more than collapsed buildings, shattered bridges, bullet-riddled facades, and the marks of war. They see a tourist destination. They’re not oblivious to the war—far from it. What draws them to cities like Kyiv and its suburbs, or to Kharkiv or Bucha, known for the Russian invasion, is precisely that: The traces of conflict they’ve followed for almost three years from afar through media outlets.
A network for “dark” travelers. Several international media outlets have followed the dark tourism phenomenon in Ukraine. The Telegraph reported on the trend in August, while France24 and the South China Morning Post covered it more recently. These reports highlight the curious network of supply and demand for dark tourism—also called “grief tourism” or “thanatourism”—that has emerged around the Russian invasion.
A dozen Ukrainian agencies facilitate tourists’ experiences, organizing tours to places like Bucha or Irpin, made infamous by the war. Prices range from $160 to $265. However, some companies risk more by offering multi-day visits closer to the front line, with packages costing up to $3,500. In August, The Telegraph reported a week-long “war tour” package priced at nearly £3,000, or just over $3,800.
And is there demand? Yes. While not mass tourism, there’s a steady flow of travelers. One company, War Tours, has hosted about 30 clients this year, mostly Europeans and Americans. Tourists recently visiting bombed-out areas of Ukraine shared their stories with different media outlets.
A 34-year-old woman working for a New York technology company traveled to Kharkiv in July. A 23-year-old Spanish software engineer documented his journey through Ukraine for his YouTube channel. To reach Ukraine, he flew to Moldova and took an 18-hour train ride, defying his family’s advice.
Another way to travel. Why are these tourists drawn to war zones? Stephan, a 29-year-old German who visited Bucha in August 2022, told The Telegraph he wanted to witness the effects of war firsthand and share them with others. He also posts videos of his travels on YouTube.
In search of thrills. “I just wanted to see it because I think our lives in the West are just too comfortable and too easy,” the 34-year-old American who visited Kharkiv this summer told France24. Her guide refused to take her closer to the front line. “Jumping out of planes and partying all night and punching people in the face just didn’t do it for me anymore. So what’s the next best thing? Going to a war zone.”
“Like a vaccine.” Are such trips ethically acceptable? Some argue they help make the horrors of war visible.
Svitozar Moiseiv, manager of Capital Tours Kyiv, said the company’s profits are negligible but believes the trips serve “like a vaccine” to prevent future wars. Some companies claim to donate profits to the army. Others suggest it supports local communities.
Tragedy as a tourist attraction. Not all Ukrainians view the phenomenon positively. Mkhailyna Skoryk-Shkarivska, a former councilwoman in Bucha, said: “Why do you come here? Why do you want to see our grief?” For some, the income from thanatourism is “blood money.”
With the war still gripping the country and the future uncertain, there’s no consensus on how to view dark tourism. “I’m one of many Ukranians who has become used to the war, so I’m not upset if we have tourists who want to see what is happening here,” Dmytro Nykyforovo, a 33-year-old who fled Kyiv and now works with War Tours, said. “The main idea is to share our experiences with them and help them to find out more about the war,” he added.
Eye-catching but not new. It may be surprising that travelers are willing to endure an 18-hour train ride to visit places ravaged by an ongoing war. Yet, the tourism industry has long capitalized on tragedy as an attraction—and the more significant the disaster, the greater the draw. Whether fueled by morbid curiosity, a fascination with history, or an unhealthy interest in suffering, dark tourism has consistently drawn waves of visitors.
Julieta Rogers, a criminology professor at the University of Melbourne, explored this phenomenon in an article for The Conversation. “Dark tourism is now a phenomenon, with its own website and dedicated tour guides. People visit these places to mourn, or to remember and honour the dead. But sometimes they just want to look, and sometimes they want to delight in the pain of others.” She cited examples such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, the 9/11 Memorial, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held, and war-torn areas of the Gaza Strip.
From Gaza to Thailand. Since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2002—which left about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage—both celebrities and tourists have visited sites associated with the Nova Festival and Kibbutz Nir Oz in Palestine/Israel, Rogers noted. She added that some tours, led by former residents, guide visitors through homes of the deceased, showcasing photographs and bullet holes.
Rogers also highlighted the growing popularity of war tours in Donbas and other areas. A more unusual example comes from Thailand, where Salad Beach, the site of a high-profile murder by chef Daniel Sancho, has seen a sharp rise in tourism. At the time of the crime, room rates at the resort were around $16 per night. Months later, following widespread media coverage, rates surged to nearly $75, according to a report published in May.
Nothing new in Ukraine. This fascination with sites of tragedy isn’t new for Ukraine. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster continues to attract thousands of visitors. When tours of the exclusion zone were banned by a Kyiv court in 2011, nearly 6,000 visitors entered illegally that year. By 2019, the number of legal visitors had soared to a record 125,000, with over 70,000 still visiting in 2021 despite the pandemic.
Ukraine’s appeal to war tourists is part of a broader trend. However, the majority of foreign visitors to the country have different reasons for traveling. According to the director of the National Agency for Tourism Development, most of last year’s influx of international travelers came for business rather than leisure.
Images | Max Kukurudziak (Unsplash) | UNDP Ukraine
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