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In Hawaii, private-run accommodations, not government-authorized accommodations, were prohibited. I thought it had something to do with community-based tourism. Since Hawaii is visited by many people worldwide, many Hawaiians are working on tourism. In a country, preventing local individuals from lodging facilities may prevent local people from making enough money. If you don't make money, the Hawaiian community may not be able to return actively. The Hawaii government may do it for the health of the people in the country, but it may directly damage the lives of the local people. Tourists may lose the opportunity to become close to local people while touring. Local people spend less time with tourists and have no chance to make money. I came to think about whether this was really for the locals.

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It’s official: Honolulu sets 90-day minimum stay limit in Airbnbs outside resort areas - Lonely Planet

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The bill was signed into law on Wednesday and will take effect on October 23.

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Hawaii Is A Paradise, But Whose? Discusses the effects of tourism on the state of Hawaii, and how locals say it isn't working for them. This movement was struck due to a Buisness venture who plans to take a local beach site and turn it into a space observation center due to it's night views. The people of Hawaii have begun to raise their flag upside down as a symbol of solidarity. Locals have long been moving further and further up north of beaches in close proximity of tourist destinations, and this center aligns itself at one of the prime locations for night observation and daily beach lovers alike. These problems are rooted in a long history that locals have faced against European settlers dating back to the 18th century, and in such, have forced locals to work jobs upon jobs to be able to afford to live in their local land. This layering of problems leaves locals desperately wanting to have their voices herd, and the upside down flag lands itself as the symbol for this movement.

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A growing number of Hawaiians say that tourism isn't working for them. Here's how they are trying to change it.

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Demonstrators waving Hawaiian flags marched outside Iolani Palace, on the anniversary of the overthrow of Hawaii by the government of the United States. Credit... Marco Garcia for The New York Times

Locals in Oahu know that the best way to get from Waikiki's crowded beaches to the cool North Shore is to drive along the island's eastern coast. The road is framed by mountains, ocean and greenery so lush and beautiful, it's hard to focus the eye on one place for too long, for fear of missing the next scenic attraction.

On a recent trip along the route, something else stood out: the upside down Hawaiian flags flying at almost every stop.

The flag has become a symbol of solidarity among Hawaiians who oppose the construction of a large new telescope on Mauna Kea, on the island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea, at 32,000 feet from seafloor to summit, and with 13,796 feet above sea level, is one of the best places in the northern hemisphere, if not the world, to observe the cosmos, experts say. The telescope's proponents say that it will bring hundreds of jobs to the island and advance humanity's study of space.

In southeast Oahu, in September, 28 people were arrested trying to block the building of a park and recreation center in Waimanalo, a largely agricultural town. The developers behind the center say it will bring jobs and create a new community space, but opponents fear it will be a magnet for tourists and will destroy the forest and beach used by locals.

In Honolulu, in May, Hilton employees protested, demanding a better contract and job protections. In July, hotel employees went on strike to protest what they said were low wages and the firing of 45 workers by Diamond Resorts, an operator of multiple properties in the United States and Europe. The company said it would turn one of its hotels into a timeshare resort, which requires fewer workers than a traditional hotel.

"We value our dedicated team members at The Modern Honolulu and we were pleased to reach a contract agreement that includes a significant pay increase," a spokesman for Diamond said. "We are continuing our planned efforts to convert the property into a world-class vacation ownership resort."

Most people in Hawaii, especially in the tourism industry work more than one job to barely get by, said Bryant de Venecia, communications organizer for the workers' union, Unite Here Local 5, which represents resort workers.

Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in, according to the 2018 Annual Average Cost of Living Index by the Council for Community and Economic Research. Groceries, for example, cost 60 percent more than the national average.

"People are tired of being decorative - Hawaiians as well as people who live in Hawaii," said Maile Meyer, who owns Nā Mea Hawai'i, a bookstore in Honolulu that sells products from smaller local makers. "Y ou're seeing a phenomenon of natives gathering again and completely finding our way back to each other as part of the solution."

A common thread between these protests is that they are being led by locals. They say that since Europeans first arrived in the 18th century, Hawaiian land has been taken and misused by non-Hawaiians, and often to the detriment of Hawaiians and their traditions. The endeavors that have sparked these recent protests all promise jobs, just as tourism and defense have in the past.

But perhaps for the first time in recent Hawaiian history, natives and locals are saying the quality of these jobs is not good enough.

"We're having to move away from quantity to quality," said Laurien Baird Hokuli'i Helfrich-Nuss, the founder of Conscious Concepts, a company that works with local organizations on sustainable tourism initiatives. "Now that local people are getting more agency, they are learning more, going into a more curious space of saying 'It's great that this company is providing jobs, but what kind of jobs are they? Are they good jobs? Are they paying a livable wage?"

Locals say that resorts are often owned and run by non-Hawaiians, with Hawaiian people employed in the lower-paying service jobs, and that development often benefits outsiders at the expense of native and local well-being.

"There historically hasn't been enough consideration for how tourism and tourists can contribute to making life sustainable and really livable for the locals who serve them here," Mr. de Venecia said.

The feeling of escape - of fleeing to a nearby paradise with stunning beaches and luxurious resorts - has long been Hawaii's appeal to the traveling public. While the hottest trends in travel now are the search for authenticity and ways to experience local life, many people who visit Hawaii are looking to get away from daily life. They come to sit on the beach and drink a matai without thinking about much else. Their interaction with local culture is often limited to watching a hula show at the hotel luau.

"We realized a lot of folks who would visit us who would normally have more consciousness about history and social justice concerns seem to turn off that part of their brain when they think about Hawaii," Mr. Kajihiro, the activist and lecturer, said, adding that people treat the islands as a "play land."

But this decision to turn off their brains is hurting Hawaii and Hawaiians, he said.

While working for the American Friends Service Committee, the Quaker peace and justice organization, Mr. Kajihiro and his colleague Terrilee Kekoʻolani studied the environmental and social effects of colonization, militarization and overdevelopment of Hawaii. They learned that tourism was one of the industries with some of the most damaging effects on Oahu, he said, citing overcrowding, a higher cost of living and higher prices for goods.

The pair began offering alternative tours of the island, which they call DeTours, in 2004 and have seen increased interest in recent years. Their work was included in the recently published Duke University Press book " Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Hawaii, " a collection of essays, interviews and family histories about ethical and contextualized tourism in the islands edited by Hokulani K. Aikau and Vernadette Vicuña González.

The tours are given to groups of people who want to learn about Hawaii from the perspective of local Hawaiians. They include a deep history on the ways military life is hidden across the island. During a typical tour, guests go to Iolani Palace, the Hawaiian royal residence, then to Chinatown and some of the old neighborhoods where new immigrants to Hawaii traditionally settled. The next stop is usually Fort Shafter, the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific; then Camp Smith, but the main part of the tour is Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa - Pearl Harbor.

During a DeTours of Pearl Harbor, Mr. Kajihiro pauses in the "Oahu court" between the Pearl Harbor galleries and the museum and asks guests to look at the placards in the hallway. At the placard that says, "The Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in 1893," he explains that this one sentence has been controversial with the United States government because it acknowledges the government-backed overthrow of Queen Lili'uokolani, which unsettles American claims to Hawaii. In the museum's Attack Gallery, Mr. Kajihiro points to a small image of the Hono'uli'uli internment camp where Japanese people were held during World War II and uses it as a jumping-off point for a conversation about immigration and civil rights.

"People already come here with so many images and ideas about what Hawaii is that it's really hard for them to see something different, so that's why we started calling our work 'DeTours," Mr. Kajihiro said. "To swerve off the path that most people are going to see or understand and consume and shake it up by raising some more critical perspectives and introducing a lot of historical facts that are not so pleasant."

The DeTours team is part of a movement looking to change what tourism means in Hawaii. Ms. Nuss, of Conscious Concepts, is originally from Oahu and returned in 2009 after working in hospitality in the Caribbean, New York, Miami and other places on the United States mainland.

" I came home seeing something happening in Hawaii that I didn't see when I left," she said. "My generation was stepping into their leadership roles and doing it differently, reconnecting for a movement back to the land."

But she quickly realized that what many companies were doing didn't align with her vision for supporting tourism while ensuring the well-being of overworked Hawaiians.

"I had a realization about how our tourism industry is presently run, which is coming from the commodification of culture," she said. "I realized what was happening in my communities and the value systems that were driving it were contradictory to the form of tourism that I was being a part of."

To give tourists a more authentic experience of "the real Hawaii," the artists Roxy and Matt Ortiz, invite them into their studio in the Kaka'ako district of Honolulu. The couple is known for their elaborate murals of fanciful tree houses, which they create under the name Wooden Wave.

"When people come see us work, it gives them a totally different way to experience Hawaii," Ms. Ortiz said. "And it's a fun way for us to give tourists a different experience than they usually see in those brochures."

In these studio visits, guests can see the couple's work in progress, but also learn about ahupua'a, the ancient system of land division, in which the island was separated into slices, each slice running from the top of the local mountain to the shore. During the visit, Mr. Ortiz explains that each ahupua'a included forest area up high and a cultivated area below, and depending on the politics and economy of each ahupua'a, its size was different from another.

Mr. Ortiz said that even the slightest opportunity for tourists to think about how water and land have always worked together and why they hold importance to Hawaiians can encourage them to be more thoughtful when interacting with locals and the land and sea while visiting.

"When people have some of the history and context they can appreciate the art more and they can experience the island in a more meaningful way," he said.

Another way tourists can learn about the land and engage with locals is by visiting a local farm like Kahumana Farm in Waianae on the west side of Oahu.

In November, Chloe Anderson, a therapist and teacher in California, visited the farm and stayed for four of her six days in Oahu. There she shared a room with others, did yoga, learned about the produce grown and cooked on the farm and generally felt like she got a more meaningful experience than she would have at a luxury resort, removed from daily Hawaiian life.

"We had like three or four different activities we would do every day," she said. "But so many things were based off the farm and at the farm. We still had the experience of being a tourist in Hawaii and going on hikes and beach excursions, but also of experiencing something more."

Some business owners are committed to staying in the tourism sector, and are trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

"I don't think it's reasonable to expect that people just won't work in the main industry there is and I don't think Hawaiians want to stop tourism altogether, but we are all working to find ways of doing it responsibly and thoughtfully," said Shane Hiroshi Gibler, who co-owns Royal Hawaiian Catamaran, which is based in Honolulu and offers snorkel tours, sunset cruises and private charters.

The idea, one echoed by Mr. Kajihiro, is to encourage tourists to think about how they can leave their resort, even for one day of their trip, and contribute to the place they are visiting.

"The point is to make folks more responsible when they come here and to interrogate this notion that Hawaii is somehow a place for them," Mr. Kajihiro said. "If you are thinking about coming here, ask yourself: Who are you in relation to this place? Are you bringing something that will be of value to the host, the people who live here? What will be your impact and your legacy be?"

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Hawaii Is a Paradise, but Whose? (Published 2020)

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A growing number of Hawaiians say that tourism isn't working for them. Here's how they are trying to change it. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

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Venice has seen the effects of mass tourism firsthand, with over 1.5 billion tourists visiting the city in 2019. As a result the local culture has suffered, leading to a decline in citizenship. In addition, tourist shops and an economy built to cater to visitors has led residents to believe Venetian culture is becoming secondary to tourist appeal. To help combat the overwhelming tourists the government has implemented an entrance fee ranging from $3-$11 USD to be paid by day travelers to the city, starting June 2022.

Venice is the first city to implement such a charge for day trips and is meant to help both the organization and the profitability of tourists coming to spend a day in the city. It will not be applied to those staying overnight, who already pay a tourist tax.

One interesting thing I learned, something that seems counter-intuitive, is that short trips (often lasting less than a day) can be more disruptive to local populations than longer stays. The rushed nature, as well as the tendency to "see sights" rather than engage with the economy can make daytrippers especially irksome as they rush to leave.

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Venice Will Charge Tourists A $10 Entry Fee Starting This Summer

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Tourist hotspot Venice will introduce a booking system and an entry fee for daytrippers from this summer.

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The influence of mass tourism on how countries run and especially its influence on their economy is immense, but the pandemic took a huge toll on not only limiting travelers, but how countries want to handle tourism all together. While tourism encourages foreigners to engage with a country’s culture and allows the locals to financially benefit from non-natives purchasing souvenirs, places like Italy want to have more control on the influx of people visiting now that international traveling is opening up once again. Italy was known to have been hit by the pandemic pretty hard as Covid rates remained high for the longest time without showing any signs of decreasing. I feel as though now with borders opening up this has made the country all the more wary of how many people will be condensed into one space at a time. Venice, starting in June, will be implementing a six month trialed booking system that will require tourists to book their trip in advance while also charging $3 to $11 depending on the season they will be visiting. Those looking to spend the night in the city will only have to pay the fee once and will receive discounts entering museums. People even already living in Venice will not have to pay but will also have to book their visit to the city ahead of time.

The amount of visitors noticeably shot up Easter weekend, with a whopping 125,000 day-trippers scavenging the streets. With only 50,000 residents living in the city, this amount of people puts a lot of pressure on natives even trying to go about their daily lives. Through this process, the city is hoping to set a maximum of 40,000 to 50,000 visitors a day and to ensure a “more balanced management of tourism.” Other countries seem to be following in these footsteps after the pandemic as well, such as Thailand, New Zealand, and even Japan who’s borders don’t seem to be opening anytime soon. These countries heavily depend on tourists in order for the economy to succeed so it is interesting to see how, despite this and what their country may need financially, they are still prioritizing the safety of its residents and seemingly finding a “solution” to mass tourism which seems to have been becoming a problem in a lot of these locations in the first place. The pandemic almost seemed to give an excuse to these countries to finally put their foot down and implement some stricter policies in order to be able to regulate tourism more properly.

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Venice will introduce a booking system in a bid to control mass tourism.
getty

Tourist hotspot Venice will introduce a booking system and an entry fee for daytrippers from this summer.

Come June, visitors to Venice will need to book their visit and pay a charge ranging from €3 to €10 ($3 and $11) depending on the season.

The ticket system, which will be trialed for a period of six months, is the latest move by authorities grappling with the unsustainable levels of visitors to the city.

In recent weeks, visitor numbers have shot back up to pre-pandemic levels. Over the Easter weekend, some 125,000 daytrippers visited the historic center.

After a six-month trial from June, the booking system may be introduced permanently in 2023.

Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, wrote on Twitter, "We will be the first in the world to conduct this difficult experiment."

While he described the influx of tourists as a "breath of fresh air for the tourism sector," he acknowledged that the booking system would ensure "a more balanced management of tourism."

Introducing an entry fee system has been in the pipeline for several years as Venice has battled mass tourism. However, after being approved in 2018, the booking system was pushed back amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, with just 50,000 residents, the canal city is feeling the pressure from the thousands of daytrippers that have returned to the historic center.

This summer, those wishing to visit the city for the day will need to book in advance and pay for their entry ticket.

"The experimental phase begins in June when day tourists will be invited to book through a website that is being set up by the council," Simone Venturini, Venice's tourism councilor, told local press.

"Those who book will receive incentives, such as discounts for entering museums. To determine the access fee, we will set a maximum threshold of 40,000 or 50,000 visitors a day."

Visitors who choose to stay the night will be exempt from the fee as they are already subject to a tourist tax.

With the Venice Biennale art exhibition kicking off this weekend, the city is preparing for another few days of packed streets and overwhelmed transport services.

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Venice Will Charge Tourists A $10 Entry Fee Starting This Summer

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Tourist hotspot Venice will introduce a booking system and an entry fee for daytrippers from this summer. Come June, visitors to Venice will need to book their visit and pay a charge ranging from €3 to €10 ($3 and $11) depending on the season.

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The anti-suicide slogan were first selected and installed on the Mapo Bridge expecting to  decrease the suicide rate. The slogan had once been viral on internet, seen as curing and encouraging. However, the slogans actually increased the suicide rate as it started to became a popular suicidal site. After 7 years of the installation, the official decided to remove the slogans.

I think the site could be related to the dark tourism. The bridge may not actually be a touring site at first. By installing the slogans, the original expectation may be creating a touring site while at the same time ease social problems. Ironically after the installation, the bridge actually could be identified as dark tourism. It could be cautious to think about the concieving of a touring site, not only for dark tourism, but also for tourism regarding environment, ethical and cultural contexts. What qualities are we planting into the sites and what effects could that bring to the original place?

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The anti-suicide slogans were first inscribed on the bridge in 2012 as part of the ‘Bridge of Life’ campaign launched by the city and Samsung Life Insurance Co. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Slogans printed on the guardrail that runs along the pedestrian walkway at Seoul’s Mapo Bridge to help people think twice about committing suicide have all been taken down, seven years after they were originally installed.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that all of the slogans inscribed on the guardrail at Mapo Bridge were removed on October 8 and 9.

The anti-suicide slogans were first inscribed on the bridge in 2012 as part of the ‘Bridge of Life’ campaign launched by the city and Samsung Life Insurance Co.

In 2013, slogans selected from a city-wide competition were inscribed on the bridge, illuminated with LED lights so that they could be seen at night.

The effectiveness of the slogans to prevent suicide soon came into question, however, which led to the shutdown of the campaign in late 2015. The lights were also removed, but some of the slogans remained on the bridge.

The remaining slogans were a constant controversy, since they did not seem to address suicide prevention at all.

“A new fence was installed in December 2016 to prevent people from jumping off the bridge, which has further deprived the slogans of any use. In many cases, the remaining slogans only seemed to confuse people,” said a city official.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Mapo Bridge was the site of the most suicide attempts and deaths among all bridges across the Han River, according to a National Fire Agency report submitted to the National Assembly,

A total of 846 people jumped off the bridge, with 24 people killed, during this period.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)

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Slogans for Suicide Prevention Removed from Mapo Bridge After 7 Years - Be Korea-savvy

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SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Slogans printed on the guardrail that runs along the pedestrian walkway at Seoul’s Mapo Bridge to …

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In Xiapu, a rural town in China, fisherman and farmers makes extra money by being the subjects of stunning photography. Have you see a beautiful National geographic level photograph of the beautiful landscape with a fisherman just in the right spot? When you decide to visit this town you thought the place would be amazing. When in reality, without the filters, the place is extremely ordinary. The beach is dirty, and the seafood restaurants are famous for ripping people off. The so-called rural people in the social media photos are all actors, Behind one brilliant picture of a rural landscape, there are ten tripods. The Times spoke to Liu Weishun, 40, who manages an attraction where gigantic, unused fishing nets are deployed for staged photos. Liu told the outlet that some 500 visitors come to his site every day and pay him $3 (R42) each to take images of people casting the nets. Some even fork out an extra charge for a model wearing a straw hat to row by — directed, of course, by Liu, who gives him stage directions via a walkie-talkie.  Many people who come to places like with a false pretense left with only disappointment. But others are totally willing to pay and keep producing fake photos that gets them thousand of likes on social media.

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An idyllic sunrise dawns over Xiapu County, a rural town in Fujian, China. From Xiapu's beaches, you can see a lone fisherman rowing his boat toward the endless horizon. And venturing deeper into the county, you might catch strains of a buffalo lowing and spot chickens scurrying about the lush farmland.

Photos of these scenic spots in the county abound on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

The catch? Most of them are manufactured.

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An Instagram-worthy town in China has fake farmers and phony fishermen - most surreal tourist spot | Businessinsider

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An idyllic sunrise dawns over Xiapu County, a rural town in Fujian, China. From Xiapu's beaches, you can see a lone fisherman rowing his boat toward the endless horizon. And venturing deeper into the county, you might catch strains of a buffalo lowing and spot chickens scurrying about the lush farmland.

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Medical volunteerism is the unit that stuck with me the most in this class. I found this article that talks about how the industry has changed for the better because of the pandemic. Medical volunteerism often involves an expensive, self serving trip to an impoverished country, which became impossible during the pandemic. A habitat for humanity trip had been scheduled for march 2020 but was canceled, and the organization was surprised to see that many of the would-be volunteers did not ask for their participation fee back, but rather donated it. Many of the projects planned for that year still got done with the help of local staff and paid contractors.

Some orgs are now doing their projects remotely. HFH had a program where people could “adopt” a habitat build in Vietnam, online. Over 10 weeks people meet weekly to fundraise, learn about Vietnamese culture, get updates from local staff on the build’s progress, and speak with the family whose house is being built. The article says that going forward, it is likely that we will see more hybrid examples of this volunteerism and that we can’t expect to see in-person visits disappear completely.While it has been proven that these trips are not at all necessary for real change abroad, the usual volunteers still lack the awareness of why what they’re doing could be damaging. However, these virtual opportunities still offer a valuable alternative to on the ground voluntourism.

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Last summer, Becca Morrison, 21, was all set to volunteer at a community arts nonprofit in Zomba, Malawi. She'd work with the marketing team as a copywriter and social media manager.

Then the pandemic hit, and the trip got canceled. "I was peeved," she says. "I was so excited to travel. I had the whole thing planned."

Still, Morrison was determined to find a volunteer gig, which she needed to graduate as an international development major at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, U.K. So she found another opportunity in Zomba, this time with a nonprofit group called the Sparkle Foundation. And it would take place virtually.

For three months last summer, Morrison helped the group - which runs a school and a medical facility for children in the community - do tasks remotely. She even personally raised $7,000 for the cause.

"I've done so much without even leaving my house, my room," she says. "I think the pandemic has changed the game completely for volunteering."

The pandemic has indeed transformed the landscape of international volunteering, say researchers. A February survey of 130 volunteer organizations and 239 international volunteers by the International Forum for Volunteering in Development found that the pandemic had spurred volunteer groups to offer more remote volunteering opportunities and consider expanding national volunteer membership in the future.

Even as some groups gear for a return to the way it was, others are changing their modus operandi - and some of these new ways of working are a step in a more sustainable direction.

"The pandemic has shown us there are different innovative ways volunteers are able to provide services," says Christopher Millora, an academic based in Iloilo City, Philippines, who is leading research for the U.N.'s next State of the World's Volunteerism report. This could lead to a "paradigm shift as to what kinds of relationships international volunteer organizations have toward local communities."

That's an important move in an industry riddled with criticism. Over the past few decades, critics and activists have been urging volunteer abroad organizations to rethink their business model.

They say sending volunteers from rich nations to low-income countries perpetuates the white savior complex by portraying volunteers as superheroes who will rescue the poor from their misery.

"There's this postcolonial narrative of young, aspirational, light-skinned people from the West thinking they can go to Africa for two weeks and change the world," says Konstantinos Tomazos, a senior lecturer in international tourism management at the University of Strathclyde. "That's the main criticism of the sector that plays into the idea of the white messiah."

They say projects can be harmful and exploitative.

One of the most popular activities for volunteers, say the experts, is helping children in orphanages. That demand, as a result, has created perverse economic incentives. "In places like Kenya and Cambodia, Nepal and Tanzania, orphanages are prolific. But the children within them are not orphans and in many cases are being placed in orphanages in order for orphanage directors to profit from the [volunteer] tourism demand to engage with orphans," says Leigh Mathews, founder of Alto Global, an international development consultancy group and the co-founder of Rethink Orphanages, a group that helps volunteer groups terminate their orphanage programs and repatriate children with their families.

And some critics question the helpfulness of volunteers.

In Ours To Explore: Privilege, Power and the Paradox of Voluntourism, author Pippa Biddle writes about a shocking discovery she made while volunteering in Tanzania as a teen. She and a group of young, inexperienced volunteers were assigned to help local workers build a small library at an orphanage. Days into the project, she found out that every morning, the local workers were taking apart the volunteers' shoddy work from the day before and redoing it correctly before they woke up.

"While my intentions to be helpful and encouraging and to give back came from a good place, my time at the orphanage did not even begin to address their real needs," writes Biddle.

A major industry

Despite these criticisms, international volunteerism is a big business.

Since the mid-1800s, when trains and shipsmade it possible for the public to travel cheaper, faster and farther than ever before, people have strived to "voyage to less-resourced nations for pleasure and purpose," says Biddle.

The phenomenon of volunteer tourism is now a $3 billion a year industry, says Tomazos. The funds paid by participants go to the thousands of groups that coordinate the trips along with the development programs they support.

The money also benefits local economies. The volunteer organization Habitat for Humanity, for example, says their trips alone bring in an estimated $6.9 million to the drivers, hotels, restaurants and gift shops that serve international volunteers when they visit.

And while it's hard to pinpoint how many international volunteers there are in the world, the U.N. estimates that if volunteering were a full-time job, it would account for 109 million workers.

It's easy to understand the appeal of overseas service, says Biddle. There's a sense of adventure, and people feel good about helping those who are less fortunate. Studies have found that volunteers perceive the trips as a meaningful and transformative life experience. People often come away from the trips with feelings of improved well-being, purpose and happiness.

On a more practical note, "voluntourism" is a practicalway for people - like Morrison - to gain experience in international development. Maia Gedde, author of Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance, says people hoping to start a career in the field "volunteer as a steppingstone to build skills, knowledge and networks to put them in a much stronger position when applying for humanitarian jobs in the future."

But not all volunteer programs are the same. In the world of international volunteerism, there are two kinds of gigs. One is volunteering with development programs, such as the Peace Corps in the U.S. and Voluntary Service Overseas in the U.K. These groups, often funded with government aid, assign volunteers to long-term projects around the world - a year or two or more working at a school in Malawi, for example, or supporting helping small business owners in India. Such programs typicallyprovide the volunteers with basic accommodation and a modest allowance for food and other living expenses.

Then there's volunteer tourism - nicknamed "voluntourism" by academics. People pay to take part in shorter-term projects abroad, which can range from tutoring kids in Nepal for a week to spending a few months conducting nutrition workshops in Thailand to traveling with a church mission group to the Philippines to dig wells. Volunteers must pay for their journey, including flights and transportation, meals and lodging as well as fees to the organizations and the programs they support.

In-person trips not required?

During the pandemic, both the development programs and volunteer tourism groups have had to recalibrate their efforts. And some groups have been surprised by how eager volunteers were to stay involved - even though their trips to the field were canceled.

One of the most well-known groups in the latter category is Habitat for Humanity. Its Global Villages programinvites people - mostly from Western countries - to help out in 30 mostly low- and middle-income countries. Over the course of about two weeks, groups of 15 people, half volunteers, half local staff, build homes, hand-washing and health-care facilities as well as participate in other kinds of projects. Volunteers do not need special skills but do need cash. There's a fee of about $1,650-$2,500 per person to participate, often raised through donations from friends and family. About 12,000 volunteers participate each year. During the pandemic, that number dropped to zero.

Despite that, many of the 800 projects planned for 2020 still got done, says Jacqueline Innocent, senior vice president of integrated programs at Habitat for Humanity. Local staff and paid contractors - mason workers, for example - pitched in. It just took a little longer because there were fewer helping hands.

Innocent was also pleased to see that many of the volunteers whose trips were canceled did not ask for a refund. They let Habitat keep the funds as a donation. And many organized their own virtual workshops, events and music festivals - to raise funds.

Some volunteers even arranged "virtual builds." Dave Kovac is a 20-year Habitat volunteer veteran and teaches courses on international service at Oregon State University. He was scheduled to go on three trips with Habitat in 2020, including one with a cohort of students. When the trips were canceled, he worked with Habitat to create an online program where students "adopted" a Habitat build in Vietnam. Over 10 weeks, Kovac and his students met weekly to fundraise, learn about Vietnamese culture, get updates from local staff about the project's progress and speak to the family whose house was being built.

The program was so successful that Kovac says he is trying it out again in August, this time with Habitat Brazil. He says he likes the model because it targets "people who are interested in some kind of experience but can't go abroad due to timing, job, personal issues, family. So maybe they can tag along virtually."

The virtual engagement made Habitat realize something, says Innocent. "We're not as dependent upon cross-border volunteers as one would have previously thought. It has been surprising how much people are willing to do [for Habitat] even though they don't get that reciprocal experience" of being there.

"I suspect," she adds, "what we're going to see when we're able to come back is more hybrid approaches" - creating opportunities like the virtual builds for international volunteers, for example.

But, she says, "I don't see a scenario at the moment where we would want to eliminate the [field] experience." The trip is what people love, she says - and local staff rely on those volunteers to help carry out the projects more quickly.

These virtual opportunities with reputable organizations offer "a wonderful alternative to on-the-ground voluntourism," says Biddle. They "bypass so many of the issues voluntourism creates and require the volunteers to show true commitment to a cause and a community - even from afar."

Greater appreciation for local volunteers

For other organizations, the pandemic has affirmed a decision they've made well before the crisis: recruiting more local volunteers instead of Westerners, says researcher Millora. And the pandemic has driven home the importance of these helpers.

Voluntary Service Overseas is a U.K.-based development organization that hires and places skilled volunteers in long-term projects in nearly 30 low- and middle-income countries.

But over the last few years, the group has been recruiting more in-country volunteers. "They're the ones who can hold the government accountable, who know the context," says Papa Diouf, who heads VSO's global work in health and is based in Kigali, Rwanda. Many of these volunteers are graduates from the School of Education at the University of Rwanda.

In the first few months of the pandemic, VSO Rwanda had to send its 50 international volunteers home. Because the group had a preexisting membership of 200 national volunteers, it was able to carry out its education program, says Diouf - training public school teachers to improve literacy and numeracy skills among primary school students.

The international volunteers, who were brought on for their expertise in school leadership and education development, stayed involved ... virtually. Using Zoom and WhatsApp, they checked in with local volunteers, who were doing much of the in-person work - visiting schools and mentoring teachers. And when schools were shut in Rwanda due to COVID-19, it was the local volunteers who kept in touch with the schoolteachers via WhatsApp.

Diouf doesn't think VSO is going to end its practice of sending volunteers abroad anytime soon. The international volunteers have crucial expertise that the organization's projects need. In fact, now that some travel restrictions have been lifted, some of the international volunteers who were sent home from Rwanda at the start of the pandemic have returned.

But, he says, the pandemic helped him see how crucial local volunteers are, especially in times of crisis. VSO's Rwandan volunteers mobilized to spread COVID messaging in their country and track essential health services disrupted by COVID. Supporting "those local volunteers had already been a shift in our program thinking, but COVID-19 has only helped us move faster in that direction," he says.

Benjamin Lough, an associate professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a global volunteerism researcher, says VSO Rwanda's emphasis toward local service in the pandemic is "a great turn." But he has a caveat.

"The pandemic revealed both the strengths of relying on local volunteers as well as the limitations when support from abroad is lacking," he says. "We can't just pass on more responsibility to domestic volunteers without providing additional support" in the form of funds or manpower.

Booking again ... but with a difference

As vaccination rates soar in the West and more countries loosen COVID travel restrictions, volunteer groups have started offering trips again.

For many overseas service operations, those trips abroad are their bread and butter, says Tomazos, the tourism researcher from University of Strathclyde. "They have a business model. No volunteers means no money."

Volunteers also bring important knowledge into the mix, says Lough. Local staff from some volunteer abroad groups have told him: "We value the skills those volunteers are bringing into this community. We want them to come in."

And people have begun booking trips again.

But things are definitely different.

Kovac sees real promise in the virtual Habitat builds, because it may help people focus on the real reasons they're volunteering. "It's really for people who want to help because they want to help, not because they want to travel."

As for Morrison, she says she "feels lucky" that she was able to accomplish so much with the Sparkle Foundation last year even if she wasn't physically in Malawi. In fact, the group liked her work so much that they asked her back this summer as a paid intern working remotely.

In her bedroom in Norwich, she says that without the distraction of feeling "mesmerized" by an exotic location, she's been more honed in on her true purpose as a volunteer. And that's made her reevaluate the concept of overseas service.

"It's almost [discriminatory] that to make a real difference, you have to pay all this money to travel somewhere very far away," she says. "That's not how charity works."

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The Pandemic Changed The World Of 'Voluntourism.' Some Folks Like The New Way Better

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Critics say volunteering abroad does not always benefit local communities. The coronavirus travel bans have led to a different approach for volunteers who want to donate their services.

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I thought the topic of dark tourism was one of the most interesting topics to search up. The reason why I chose this article is because while searching up the topic dark tourism, I noticed the country North Korea was on one of the lists. As a Korean I have never really thought about touring North Korea, so it was a real surprise for me just being listed up on a topic of tourism, even though it is “Dark Tourism”.

It was surprising to read that you can go to North Korea as a tourist. Although they talk about it as not in a “normal” way. There is no normal with regard to North Korea and there are many strict restrictions. But it is possible to visit, even though North Korea remains as one of the least visited countries in the world.

North Korea is known for being the most extreme communist dictatorship. The democratic people’s republic of Korea banned its citizens from laughing, shopping, drinking and crying out loud if someone passed away in the mourning period by leader Kim Jong-il. If anyone breaks the rule, then they will become arrested.

This country has a dark reputation. There aren’t a lot of official dark tourist attractions, there’s plenty of weirdness. Not being able to travel by yourself could become one of the examples and it’s all carefully controlled propaganda-based tours.

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The ultimate "rogue state", the pinnacle of the "axis of evil", the Hermit Kingdom, the most secretive nation on Earth, home to the most excessive cult of personality ever, the realm of the Kims, the last beacon of staunchly Stalinist communism ... the list could go on and on.

There's so much that could be said about this most enigmatic country on the planet, but there isn't really the scope for a full political account of the country on this website.

North Korea will also have to be monitored for changes - especially since the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il joined his great father in the eternal Juche Tower in the sky in December 2011 and his youngest son Kim Jong Un became ruler Kim #3, at the young age of only 28.

Kim Jong Un at first didn't seem to have quite the full grip on leadership that his Dear Dad still enjoyed. Instead it looked like he had to share power with an uncle and the military top brass, like a mere figurehead without any clout. Bit by bit, however, Young Kim #3 seems to have asserted his position more than outsiders had expected. He even purged that said uncle in late 2013 and had him executed, a clear signal to anybody within the nomenklatura possibly daring to threaten the position of the new "Supreme Leader".

Whether his leadership will also allow for any substantial changes in foreign politicy or societal or economic reforms is still very unclear (and that media stunt with Donald Trump was predictably short-lived). We'll have to wait and see. So far, the propaganda and cult of personality at least seem to go on unabated.

For now, let's concentrate on the current dark tourism aspects:

Why it's dark should really go without saying. The Korean War, an abominable human rights record, a most extreme communist dictatorship, devastating famine starving millions, the ongoing confrontation with the West, esp. the USA (in particular on the issue of the development of nuclear weapons) and just the fact that it is so shut off from the rest of the world - it all makes for more darkness than most other countries put together could muster. It's also the most "weird-dark" destination in the world, thanks to the unparalleled cult of personality characterizing the country.

As regards individual places, the following are given separate entries on this website:

( Note that the individual entries will not (have to) include details regarding transport, opening hours, admission costs and the like. Things like that simply don't apply in North Korea. Everything will be fully organized for you - see below.)

But can you go to North Korea as a tourist at all? Tourism in North Korea?!? Yes. It may indeed come as a surprise to many that it is in fact possible to travel to this crazy place. Though not in the "normal" way. There is no normal with regard to North Korea. And there are severe restrictions. But it is possible, even though North Korea remains one of the least visited countries on the planet. It sure is exotic to the max.

And it's got somewhat easier. The restrictions that used to be in place with regard to tourists from the USA wanting to visit North Korea have been lifted. In the past citizens of the great arch-enemy, the "Imperialist Yankee Aggressor", were allowed in only on separate tours and only on few special occasions. Now Americans can travel to the DPRK just like any other nationality. The big exception remains South Korea. Nobody travelling on a ROK passport will be given a visa to North Korea. End of.

Some restrictions remain for all travellers. Most importantly: independent travel is not allowed in North Korea at all (neither for foreigners nor for North Koreans!). You have to go on an organized tour with guides, always two guides, in fact, irrespective of the size of the group. (Some assume it has to be two guides because they have to monitor each other as much as they have to monitor you, the tourist, so that they do not say the "wrong" things ...).

THE specialist offering organized trips to the DPRK is the British (but Beijing-based) operator " Koryo Tours", who have been running such tours for about two decades and have the best experience and contacts. They offer both group and tailor-made individual tours. They can also brief you about visas, dos and don'ts, and so on. See this sponsored page for Koryo Tours!

What you get to see in the country is pretty much predetermined - by what the Koreans want you to see, not necessarily what you want to see. Fortunately there's enough overlap between the two from a dark tourism perspective to make for various stunning itineraries. If you want to go as an individual or as part of a small group with a tailor-made itinerary, there is some choice as to what to include and what not. But that list itself is predetermined. For such a tour you should plan ahead and make your wishes known well in advance (check out Koryo Tours!).

Remember, though, that even as an individual traveller you will always have to be accompanied by two Korean guides assigned by the North Korean authorities. And having the same two guides with you all the time during the day could be a bit much. Also, individual tours are naturally a lot more expensive.

Most visitors, however, simply go on organized group tours that are offered from/to Beijing, China (the only gateway to North Korea for tourists anyway). And group tours are quite probably the best way to see the country - even if you're (like me) not normally one for group travel, here, for once, it's actually the better option. For two reasons mainly: firstly, the other people who share this desire to go to North Korea (which most "normal" people find utterly "bizarre") will typically be interesting people themselves too. I can certainly vouch for that on the basis of my own experience from the tour I joined in August 2005 (I'm still in touch with some of them!). Secondly, in a group of 15 or so people, the impact of being watched by your Korean guides is less noticeable, you can blend in more and have more breathing space.

Theoretically, you could even go just as an individual - but any number of travellers, whether 20 or just one individual, will always have to be accompanied by two Korean guides assigned by the North Korean authorities. You may be given a bit more flexibility with regard to a travel itinerary, but you will still not really be free to choose what to see (and what not). And having two guides with you all the time during the day could be a bit much. Also, individual tours are naturally a lot more expensive. So in this case I'd argue for group travel.

Just a few more general points that have to be understood about travelling to North Korea, or the DPRK, as the country is officially called. Consider these points well before making any plans to visit this country:

The North Koreans will be keen to show off what they regard as the best the country has to offer. If you get a weird kick out of socialist realism monumentality and cult-of-personality excesses, then North Korea will be your El Dorado. If not, you'll get much less out of travelling to the DPRK.

Obviously enough you will not be shown any of the really dark bits - no detention centres or gulags (whose existence would be denied if, stupidly, you asked!). Nor will you get anywhere near nuclear installations. You may not even see much of the conventional military machine of the country - although the proportion of North Koreans you'll see in military uniforms is striking.

Photography is similarly restricted: while you can happily photograph all that's considered glorious, taking pictures of poverty, dereliction or anything military is right out. (On my trip, the train out of the country to Beijing at one point about halfway between Pyongyang and the border passed a freight train which was clearly loaded with barely concealed missiles ... and even though by then we didn't have any guides with us any more, no one even reached for their cameras ...)

Criticism or arguing about North Korea politically with your guides is pointless, and actually counterproductive (for the atmosphere alone). Don't even try it. Just go along with everything (and just entertain your own thoughts quietly).

At some points you will actually be requested to pay your respects to the "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung, the deceased god-like "eternal president" of the DPRK, as well as to his equally deceased son Kim Jong Il. At several grand statues of the big man (and his successor son) you're supposed to bow - maybe even lay down flowers. If that's a problem for you, then perhaps you shouldn't be visiting North Korea.

Itineraries and programmes change, often without any forewarning, no matter how assured certain itinerary items may have been. The standard line on the tour I was on was "it's 100% confirmed - unless it changes". And things did change. But complaining is, again, pointless. You just have to go with the flow. It is part of the overall experience.

You will in any case be given a package that will be utterly and uniquely different from travels anywhere else in the world. Appreciate it. It's a privilege.

I personally regard my North Korea trip as the most exotic, weirdest and, yes, the "coolest" of all the travels I have ever undertaken.

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most comprehensive dark-tourism guide ever

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The ultimate "rogue state", the pinnacle of the "axis of evil", the Hermit Kingdom, the most secretive nation on Earth, home to the most excessive cult of personality ever, the realm of the Kims, the last beacon of staunchly Stalinist communism ... the list could go on and on.

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Xijiang 1,000-household Miao village is one of the most iconic ethnic landmark in China which locates in the southwest region of China. It is the home of more than one thousand families. It features traditional Miao culture, which a minority group in China. The village still keeps the traditional Miao architecture - intricate wooden houses and has museums introducing the history and custom. Women wear elegant and glittering silver ornaments with hand-made embroidery or batik costumes. In the village, there are authentic Miao’s cuisine, performances and handcrafts stores managed by local people.
The village is surrounded by overlapping mountains, with terraced fields rising along the slopes. It is quite hard to come here and connect to the outside at the beginning. The development of tourism not only let travelers get to know this village, but also help the village shake off poverty. I visited the village a few years ago, though I can experience the ethnic atmosphere, the village is also becoming more and more commericialized.

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( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2018-10-12

The Xijiang 1,000-household Miao village is located at the foot of Leigong Mountain in northeast Leishan county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in southwest China's Guizhou province.

Xijiang 1,000-household Miao Village. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is the largest Miao ethnic village in China and is unparalleled around the world. In this village, folk customs such as Miao farming, festivals, silver ornaments, ethnic costumes, food, songs and dances have been passed down from generation to generation, making it the best place to experience and learn about the long history and development of the Miao ethnic group in China.

The village has been praised by Chinese and foreign scholars and folklorists as the place where the "original ecology" of Miao culture is most preserved, and it is known as the "the Miao capital of China".

Lying amidst mountains, the village is a conglomeration of more than ten naturally formed villages with terraced rice fields rising up along the slopes. The Baishui River flows through the villages, dividing the Xijiang Miao village into two parts.

Due to limited cultivated land resources, the people of the Miao ethnic group built more than one thousand Diaojiaolou (wooden-stilted houses) with peculiar Miao characteristics on hillsides. Layer upon layer of closely connected houses make for some spectacular scenery. Xijiang Qianhu Miao village is famous for its festivals, such as the annual Miaonian Festival (the New Year Festival of the Miao ethnic group), Chixin (or Harvest Festival), and Guzang Festival, which takes place just once every 13 years. The village cluster, known as an open-air museum, displays the grandeur of the Miao nationality's development and offers visitors a chance to enjoy and study the local culture.

Due to the steadily increasing investment and publicity in recent years, the Xijiang scenic spot has seen improved infrastructure and facilities and an increasing number of tourists, and it has enjoyed more popularity around the world.
Tips
The village has been honored with awards such as the Flying Swallow Award and the Best Folk Culture Award for rural tourism, and has also been named among the following: "100 Most Beautiful Towns in China", "Ten Charming Scenic Spots in Guizhou", "The Most Charming Ethnic Village in Guizhou", "National 4A-class Tourist Attractions", "New Landmark of Chinese Cultural Tourism", one of the top ten tourist towns (villages), and the most beautiful "original" open-air museum.

Best time to go: All year

Admission: 100 yuan ($14.43)/person

How to get there: Take a bus from Kaili, the capital city of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, to Xijiang town, Leishan county.

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Updated: 2018-10-12 The Xijiang 1,000-household Miao village is located at the foot of Leigong Mountain in northeast Leishan county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in southwest China's Guizhou province. Xijiang 1,000-household Miao Village. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] It is the largest Miao ethnic village in China and is unparalleled around the world.

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https://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-quirk/2012/10/guess-what-there-are-thousands-of-bodies-under-lincoln-park/

I have been thinking about Dark Tourism for a while now. So far, it seems like it is centered around the illusion of agency and an unfounded curiosity for tragedy. I have noticed that the United States has a very undefined relationship with Death. What happens when we visit a place thinking it is one thing when it is actually something else? This piece explains how Lincoln Park was originally used as a cemetery before the creation of rural cemeteries such as Gracland. Even though most bodies were moved from there to the new cemeteries, the 1871 great fire got in the way of completing the process and many bodies were left behind. People go to the park most likely not knowing the south section is still filled with bodies underground. Wheree is the line? We live in a wold of violence, poor administration, accidents, catastrophe, pain, and because they are events, the next day there is no proof of them. Is our whole experience through the world one big dark tour?

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Guess what? There are thousands of bodies under Lincoln Park.

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Lincoln Park is one of my favorite places in the city. (The actual park, not the Trixie-filled bars.) There are so many beautiful places to explore. Unfortunately, I seem to have stumbled upon something that is not so beautiful: there are thousands of dead bodies in the park. Since Halloween is just…

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South Korea managed to bring 13-17 million of tourists each year from 2014 to 2019. However, the number dropped to 2.52 million after the first reported break out of the COVID-19 in 2020.

With the help of the tourists, Korea was able to develop in many different directions which allowed to provide more tourist attractions (more tourists!). This article discusses the news that the country is ready as of April 1st, to let tourists visit without quarantine for the first time in two years.

While there are a lot more other countries with travel restrictions, Korea struggled to maintain its economy ever since the start of the pandemic. Mass tourism each year has helped the country to succeed diplomatically and economically, but was impossible to do so until this year. I am very excited to hear this news and I hope one day you guys could visit as well!

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Despite a record number of COVID-19 infections, South Korea is pushing ahead with plans to reopen the country to travelers, ending the quarantine requirement for people who have been vaccinated against the virus.

South Korea's cultural output has crossed borders in recent years through K-Pop groups like BTS, Blackpink and SuperM; the history-making TV show Squid Game (which broke Netflix's viewing records in 2021); and the multi-Oscar winning movie Parasite.

But since the beginning of the pandemic its borders have essentially been closed to tourists, with strict entry rules that have only recently started to ease. In February, the government reduced the quarantine period from 10 to seven days and starting April 1, quarantine will be scraped entirely for vaccinated arrivals.

When will South Korea open borders for tourists in 2022?

Starting April 1, internationaltourists will be able to visit South Korea without quarantine - provided they are vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to visitors from most countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and more. The only exceptions are visitors from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar, who will continue to be required to quarantine for seven days.

South Korea's new entry rules

If you plan to visit South Korea this year, you will be required to have received a booster shot to bypass quarantine if more than 180 days have passed since your last recommended dose of a primary vaccine schedule. That is 180 days after your second shot or 180 days after the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

You'll also be required to apply for a QR code which will then be scanned at immigration, according to the tourism board. You can get that through South Korea's Q-Code system by entering information such as your passport number, departure country, airline, phone number and vaccine records.

What restrictions are in place in South Korea?

South Korea was once one of the world's pandemic success stories, taking some of the toughest approaches against the virus than any other country. But now South Korea is battling record numbers of new cases, hospitaizations and deaths.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the record wave of infections. According to the New York Times, the country recorded its highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began on March 17.

Keen to fend off the latest wave, the government continues to require people to wear facemasks in indoor and outdoor public places and on public transport. But other restrictions have been suspended such as the need to present proof of vaccination to enter places like restaurants, cinemas and theaters.

The government has also relaxed social distancing measures and is set to ease curfew limits in the coming weeks. Currently, venues like restaurants, cinemas, karaoke rooms and bathhouses must close at 11 pm under the current guidelines.

Buy the latest edition of The Travel Book

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After two years, South Korea is ready to let tourists in without quarantine

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Despite a record number of COVID-19 infections, South Korea is pushing ahead with plans to reopen the country to travelers, ending the quarantine requirement for people who have been vaccinated against the virus.

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The Vessel is an iconic public architectural sculpture in Manhattan, New York built by architect Thomas Heatherwick. It features a beehive-like structure with interconnecting staircases going all the way to the top. There is a 4ft glass railing on all sides but this inevitably didn’t protect the 4 lives who died from suicide.

I would have to say this popular tourist attraction relates to this weeks theme of “Dark Tourism” as it turned out to be a structure that could easily be used for suicide attempts. There is really no protection, the railing is so short you can easily climb over and it’s also fairly accessible. Sadly this was not the intention behind the sculpture but the Vessel is trying to figure out a solution to prevent any further suicides.

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After latest suicide, the Vessel in New York City's Hudson Yards ponders its future

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The Vessel's future as the Instagrammable centerpiece of New York City's newest neighborhood is in limbo after four suicides. Can it be saved?

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I chose this article for the second week of photography, one because this is a very photographed location, and for two, the article itself is written by national geographic which is a topic that we will be talked about this coming week. This could also work for Dark Tourism week due to the nature of the content. But this article talks about the monumental waste problem on Mount Everest.

Ever since Hillary and Norgay first scaled the mountain in 1953, thousands of tourists have payed to scale the mountain since to also have the glory of reaching the highest point on earth and hundreds of thousands more have traveled to the base camp each year to just be close to it. However, while this travel does bring revenue and jobs to the region, it is quickly devastating the once secluded region and turning it into a very dangerous place to live. With Everest new nickname becoming "the worlds highest garbage pile" tourist are discarding tons of litter at the top of the mountain instead of returning with it, eroding soil, deforesting at alarming rate and poisoning water resources via the watershed. Efforts to curb this include fining travelers 4,000 dollars for not bringing down their trash.

This rocks me to my core, Mount Everest, one of our planets most inaccesible places has become little more than our rubbish bin. It leaves me speechless and infuriated. I understand that revenue is important for the government and the populace of the country. Yet if this horrible, harmful practice of tourism is left unchecked for much longer, the Pixar movie Walle may not become such a stretch for Everest.

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Tuesday, October 1, 2019

In Nepal, Mount Everest is known as "Sagarmatha," meaning "forehead in the sky." Standing at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), it is the highest mountain above sea level in the world. Everest is part of the Himalaya, which spans 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) and runs through six countries in Asia.

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people known to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. It was a death-defying feat of endurance that captured the world's imagination. Since then, thousands of visitors have flocked to the mountain, and it is starting to take its toll. Today, Everest is so overcrowded and full of trash that it has been called the "world's highest garbage dump."
The World's Highest Garbage Dump
Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 to protect the mountain and its wildlife, and it became a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in 1979. The park receives around 100,000 visitors each year, and all those people place a strain on the natural environment. Deforestation plagues the local area, as people fell trees to make lodges and firewood for tourists. During peak season, the park receives as many as 500 people per day making the hike to Base Camp, and the intense volume of visitors is eroding footpaths. But the biggest problem is on the mountain itself.

Over 600 people attempt to summit Mount Everest every climbing season during the few weeks of the year when weather conditions are just right. In addition, for every climber there is at least one local worker who cooks, carries equipment, and guides the expedition. The mountain has become so overcrowded that oftentimes climbers have to stand in line for hours in freezing cold conditions to reach the top, where the air is so thin an oxygen mask is needed to breathe. They walk single file at a snail's pace over the Hillary Step, the last obstacle before the summit. When climbers finally reach the summit, there is barely room to stand because of overcrowding.

Each of those climbers spends weeks on the mountain, adjusting to the altitude at a series of camps before advancing to the summit. During that time, each person generates, on average, around eight kilograms (18 pounds) of trash, and the majority of this waste gets left on the mountain. The slopes are littered with discarded empty oxygen canisters, abandoned tents, food containers, and even human feces. At Base Camp, there are tented toilets with large collection barrels that can be carried away and emptied. But that is where the toilet facilities end. For the rest of their expedition, climbers have to relieve themselves on the mountain.

No one knows exactly how much waste is on the mountain, but it is in the tons. Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed.

The Sagarmatha National Park watershed is an important water source for thousands of people living in communities surrounding Mount Everest. The watershed includes the land that directs rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains into streams and rivers. There are no waste management or sanitation facilities in the area, so garbage and sewage are emptied into big pits just outside of local villages, where they wash into waterways during the monsoon season. The local watershed has become contaminated, which could be incredibly dangerous to the health of the local people. Water contaminated with fecal matter is known to cause the spread of deadly waterborne diseases such as cholera and hepatitis A.
What Goes Up Must Come Down
Both governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have attempted-and are attempting-to clean up the mess on Mount Everest. In 2019, the Nepali government launched a campaign to clear 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of trash from the mountain. They also started a deposit initiative, which has been running since 2014. Anyone visiting Mount Everest has to pay a $4,000 deposit, and the money is refunded if the person returns with eight kilograms (18 pounds) of garbage-the avegae amount that a single person produces during the climb.

It is not just local authorities trying to make a difference. For years, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) has been working tirelessly to keep the region clean. The SPCC is an NGO and nonprofit run by local Sherpa people. They manage waste in the area surrounding Mount Everest, ensure that people have legal permission to climb, and educate visitors on taking care of the environment.

The Mount Everest Biogas Project is also working to find a long-term, sustainable solution to the area's sanitation problem. They have plans to build a solar-powered system that would turn human waste into fuel for the local communities. According to the project's website, this would stop human feces from being dumped at local villages, which would reduce the risk of water contamination and create more local jobs.

Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit in 1953, over 4,000 people have followed in their footsteps, and hundreds more attempt the climb each season. Some people have argued that the Nepali government should have stricter rules about how many people can try to climb Mount Everest each year, but Nepal relies on the income that the climbers bring to the area. In Nepal, one in four people live below the poverty line, and climbing permits generate millions of dollars of revenue for the local economy. Visitors to the park also generate jobs and income for local people who provide accommodation or work as porters and guides.
Hope for the Future
In the Tibetan language, Mount Everest is called "Chomolungma" ("Qomolangma" in Chinese), which means "goddess mother of the world." To the Sherpa people, the mountain is a sacred place, deserving of dignity and respect. This was once a pristine landscape, but hordes of climbers and poor waste management have turned it into a polluted mess. However, there is hope that organizations like the SPCC and the Mount Everest Biogas Project, with the help of climbers and the Nepali government, can restore the world's highest peak to its former glory.

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Trash and Overcrowding at the Top of the World

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Tuesday, October 1, 2019 In Nepal, Mount Everest is known as "Sagarmatha," meaning "forehead in the sky." Standing at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), it is the highest mountain above sea level in the world. Everest is part of the Himalaya, which spans 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) and runs through six countries in Asia.

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Gastown is one of my favorite places in Vancouver. Gastown is a blend of "hip" contemporary fashion, interior furniture boutiques, tourist-oriented businesses (usually limited to Water Street), restaurants, nightclubs, poverty, and new luxury homes. In addition, there are computer and Internet businesses, art galleries, music and art studios, tattoo parlors, and acting and film schools as well as law firms, architects, and other professional offices.
Gastown's most famous landmark is its steam-powered clock at the corner of Cambyses and Water Street. It was built in 1977 to cover the steam grate, part of Vancouver's decentralized steam heating system This Gastown steam clock has been placed in Gastown for more than 40 years. Many people take photos in front of the Gastown clock. In Gastown buildings, the sidewalk and lights remain unchanged. A lot of travelers love this place. They have many traditional souvenir stores(First nation art store), a Spaghetti factory restaurant. I strongly recommend Gastown when you guys go to Vancouver for travel.

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Gastown Neighbourhood Guide, Most Instagrammable places in Gastown

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Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood, Gastown, with the steamclock and cobblestone streets is a great spot for Instagram photos.

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This was supposed to be a year of recovery for a travel industry hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic. But (CNN) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have just changed that.

After two years of disrupted travel due to ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions, airlines and tour operators are once again bracing for closed skies, cancellations and a cloud of uncertainty over international travel.

More than 30 countries have so far closed their airspace to Russia, with Moscow reacting in kind. Russia's Civil Aviation Authority announced it has closed off its airspace to the carriers of at least 37 countries as of Tuesday. The airspace over Ukraine, Moldova and parts of Belarus also remains closed.

In the short-term this means flight cancellations or a diversion of air routes. But the long-term consequences for the travel industry could be much more far reaching. Here's why:

Global crude oil prices surged to more than $110 per barrel on Wednesday as investors fear Russian energy exports will be limited or halted as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

These price surges will make any type of travel more expensive. Coupled with potentially longer air routes that need more fuel as they circumvent closed Russian air space, the higher prices will eventually need to be passed on to the consumer.

Europe's biggest airline Lufthansa said the Asia detours will cost a "single-digit-million-euro" amount per month. Addressing reporters during a company earnings update on Thursday, Lufthansa chief financial officer Remco Steenbergen said the carrier will need to hike ticket prices to offset the rise in fuel prices and other costs.

A spike in fares could lead to lower demand -- and that spells bad news for an industry already struggling to make up for pandemic-related losses, not to mention inflation.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, has warned of a "high risk" to civilian aircraft flying near the Ukrainian border. Airspace over Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova is also on the risk list.

EASA doubled the size of the warning zone around Ukraine on Friday, fearing "mid-range missiles penetrating into controlled airspace." The agency added, "in particular, there is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft."

EASA's warning will not be taken lightly after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people. Investigators said the missile that brought the plane down was fired from a launcher belonging to Russia's 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade.

For many travelers and crew already spooked by coronavirus concerns, the idea of flying anywhere near a conflict zone may be too much.

"It is likely that destinations close to Russia will suffer as consumers will fear the proximity of war, even if that is irrational, based on no declared threat from Russia," Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at travel analytics company ForwardKeys, told CNN.

"The US market is likely to be deterred significantly from visiting Eastern Europe and deterred, although not quite so much, from visiting western Europe," he added.

We're still living amid a global pandemic with country specific travel and quarantine restrictions. Travel bodies had been calling on governments to lift Covid-19 related travel restrictions as vaccinated societies hoped for some sort of return to "normal." However, the World Health Organization warned conditions on the ground in Ukraine and the resulting refugee crisis will make it easier for coronavirus to spread.

Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, tells CNN's Matt Egan his company is committed to helping with the refugee crisis.

"Anytime you disrupt society like this and put literally millions of people on the move, then infectious diseases will exploit that," Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program, said during a news briefing on Wednesday.

"People are packed together, they're stressed, and they're not eating, they're not sleeping properly. They're highly susceptible to the impacts, first of all being infected themselves. And it's much more likely that disease will spread."

The UNHCR says more than two million people have been forced to flee their homes and estimates "up to four million people could leave the country in the coming weeks if the conflict continues." The effects of a potential spread of the virus in neighboring countries could make governments less likely to ease Covid-19 restrictions, which will keep the pressure on the travel industry.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Russians made more than 10.1 million tourism-related trips abroad in 2021. ATOR told Russia's state news agency that 46.5% of the total tourist flow to 32 open states was to Turkey, with Russian tourists making 4.7 million trips to the country last year.

And those tourism dollars looked set to flow well into 2022. The latest data from travel analytics company ForwardKeys showed Russian outbound flight bookings for March, April and May had recovered to 32% of pre-pandemic levels, prior to the invasion of Ukraine, with Turkey, the UAE, Maldives and Thailand making up the most booked destinations.

That all changed with Russia waging war on its neighbor. Destinations which suffered the highest immediate cancellation rates over the February 24-26 period were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%) and the Maldives (165%), data from the company shows. The absence of Russian tourists will deal a big blow to those heavily dependent tourism destinations.

It's important to note that not all countries have severed ties with Russia. Flights from the country are still landing in places like Turkey, Thailand and Egypt for the moment but the economic outlook for Russia is what's keeping tour operators in those countries up at night.

Crippling Western sanctions have caused the Russian ruble to plummet to new lows with ratings agencies Fitch and Moody's downgrading Russia's sovereign debt to "junk" status Thursday morning.

As Russians' savings diminish in value, they'll also find it harder to use globally recognized credit cards abroad when they do manage to travel. Companies like Visa and Mastercard said this week that they too are working to enforce sanctions against Russia.

And, in another potential blow to the country, the World Tourism Organization is holding an emergency executive council meeting next week to decide whether to suspend Russia's membership and participation in the organization.

From investors to travelers, no one likes uncertainty. The war in Ukraine has increased uncertainty over whether port closures and shipping delays will limit deliveries of everything from wheat to crude to cooking oil.

Travel stocks are seeing their share prices tumble too. International Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways, lost 5% in February. Shares of Lufthansa have fallen 14% since Russian forces entered Ukraine, with UK airline EasyJet painting a similar picture.

The uncertainty over what happens next in the conflict is also making people think twice about planned or existing travel plans.

"We have had customers phoning looking for reassurance that their trip will go ahead and checking our flexible booking policy," Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel's managing director for North America, told CNN.

"Intrepid Travel is not currently operating any tours that visit Ukraine or Russia, but in the short term, we do anticipate a softening of sales for travel in Europe," he added.

Of course planned vacations are in no way comparable to the plight of the Ukrainian people and the immense humanitarian disaster unfolding along its borders right now, but the impact Russia's invasion of Ukraine could have on an already fragile travel industry is one that could be felt far into the future.

Top image: The Aeroflot check-in counter at Los Angeles International Airport on March 02. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

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how russia's invasion of ukraine could hurt travel's recovery - cnn

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How Russia's invasion of Ukraine could hurt travel's recovery

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This was supposed to be a year of recovery for a travel industry hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic. But (CNN) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have just changed that. After two years of disrupted travel due to ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions, airlines and tour operators are once again bracing for closed skies, cancellations and a cloud of uncertainty over international travel.

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How the world of travel is responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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As boycotts and sanctions hit Russia, the global travel industry strives to deliver its own response to the invasion of Ukraine. Tour operators and cruise companies are freezing trips to Russia and restricting cooperation with Russian entities

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I still find it really interesting how places become filled with tourist. From what I can really grasp is one person will have an experience, and others either need to see it or go there for themselves. People crave for others to stare in awe at their trips and want others to desire what they saw. This can still very accurate today because many of us (including myself) will post pictures of trips or travel, which is neither a good or bad thing. This article gives what I believe to be more connections with some of the things we’ve been talking about the last two weeks with photography. There is a new collection at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. This collection is focused on professional photographs taken by people who traveled to many places around the world. Cataloger Lilyan Jones said that, “I chose this theme because at the time I was starting to work on this, we were stuck inside. I thought it would be nice to look at pictures from all over the world.” I think again this statement goes back again to the crave of international experience and wanting to be where others show you in some way, in this case because of the pandemic. In the photographs you can reference some direct concepts/issues we talked about such as the different gazes (photographer/subject) and photographers themselves being within the frame of the image. I think it’s important to note that many of these photographers were likely wealthy enough to take these trips and travel to these areas to take such images, while having biased opinions. The images photographers would take were sold in stores or from themselves in order for those who could afford it to purchase. With having the images available for purchase in mind, some would buy them to bring back to their home to show others. I think it’s interesting that people almost need some form of proof to show where they have been, like speaking experience is not enough validation. Seeing the differences in the kind of travel photos we’ve talked about today and what “professional” travel photography was 100 years ago was interesting. Again it is similar to what we’ve been looking at in class. I think how they defined professional travel photography back then and how we do now is also very different. This is mostly because a photographer’s image had to be in store for you to purchase, where as now it wouldn't.

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These Photos Show The Timeless Appeal Of Travel And Tourism

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“Now that travel has opened up, you can access more places and see more things. Our definition of travel photography has changed.”

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I think it's funny when in consideration for “roadside” attractions or just attractions in general that are located in such a desolate place such as the desert like the salvation mountain in slab city or the crochet museum in Joshua tree. I think in terms of tourism photography or just photography in general a lot of people love and are intrigued with juxtaposition so a lot of people go out of their way to these desolate areas to take these pictures. I remember when I was 15 I went to salvation mountain for the first time for a photo shoot, and a big problem was that one of the photographers was pregnant and the heat of the desert was not allowing her to be constantly taking photos or she would faint. So even though you get something in return, a beautiful scenery, you still are not more comfortable than if you were going to take photos in front of the bean.

The article I choose goes more in depth on the construction and why Leonard Knight made this huge sculpture. But what fascinating to me that was point out in the article is that he originally wanted to make a hot air balloon to have it spread the word of god but then since not everything will work out the way you planned he ended up on making “salvation mountain” in the most desolate and dry are I’ve ever been to. You would think that if you would spend so much time and the purpose of the sculpture your building is to spread a message that you would at least want it to be closer to a town or a city, so that people could travel there with a purpose and the mountain will only be part of the thing they are doing in that area. But the most logical reason why it is located in the armpit of southern California is that the armpit was the only place he could put such a large sculpture (even though San Diego county and inland do hold significance to him).

While his message might not have been widespread at first but with the juxtaposition of the photos being taken and shared it allowed for more people to hear about his place and go out of there way to just take a photo there among the colorful mountain surrounded by dirt.

Although this article only talks about salvation mountain I did want to point out that inland southern California there are more of this theme of creating colorful sculptures and attractions placed in a desert area just like the crochet museum in Joshua tree or the metal sculptures in Anza Borrego State Park.

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The Man Who Built Salvation Mountain

by Lynn Bremner

The mountain is called Salvation Mountain, and the man who built it is named Leonard Knight. It took 25 years of hard labor, endless buckets of adobe clay, 100,000+ gallons of paint, thousands of hay bales and one man with unwavering faith to build a mountain. This mountain has earned the recognition of The Discovery Channel, Ripley's Believe It or Not and National Geographic. It is not an ordinary mountain and the man who built it was not an ordinary man.

Salvation Mountain is located in a remote area near Niland, CA, between the Salton Sea and the Chocolate Mountains, in a place called Slab City. Some might call Salvation Mountain a work of art, while others may call it a work of faith, but to Leonard it was his life's work and purpose, built to spread the word of Jesus. And he did, by building a mountain that delivers those words through a colorful display of bible verses woven into ribbons of paint that form waterfalls, lakes and flowers. Salvation Mountain was a work in progress for many years. Built with adobe clay, hay bales and other scraps found in the desert, Leonard created a mountain to deliver his message, "God is Love."

It took many years for Leonard to realize the purpose of his life, but once he discovered his faith, his quixotic journey began. New meaning in his life fueled visionary goals. Once Leonard locked onto a vision or idea, he did so with undying determination. He had a couple of false starts with his first vision, a hot air balloon bearing the words of Jesus. That effort ultimately failed. To Leonard however, it wasn't a failure but part of a journey that lead him to his quixotic project "Salvation Mountain."

Born on Nov. 1, 1931 in Vermont, Leonard Knight was the fourth of six children. He attended school until the 10th grade. In 1951 he joined the military and was trained as a vehicle mechanic. He served during the Korean War fixing jeeps and other equipment. After his time in the military he returned to Vermont to work as a car mechanic.

Leonard says his life was changed forever in 1967 when he finally opened his heart and discovered the love of Jesus. He was visiting his sister in Lemon Grove, California when this transformation occurred. Leonard had never been a man of faith. His sister insisted that Leonard go to church with her one day, but he just ran away from her. Shortly thereafter he was sitting in his truck and began to think to himself "I am a sinner, Jesus come into my heart." He kept repeating these words to himself and he underwent a sort of transformation.

With his newly discovered faith, Leonard returned to Vermont with a sense of love, vision and purpose. In 1971 his vision took shape when he came up with the idea of spreading the love of Jesus by building a hot air balloon. He thought putting Jesus' message on a hot air balloon would be a great way to spread the word. For 10 years he kept his focus on building that balloon. He didn't have any money or a plan, he just knew that he had to find a way somehow to do it.

The vision of building a hot air balloon became a long-term dream that didn't transform into an actual project until 1980, 10 years later. Leonard was on his way home from visiting his sister in California when the starter broke on his truck in a town in Nebraska. Since Leonard had been a car mechanic and had little money, he found a junkyard that had a used starter and bought it. The man who ran the junkyard, Copy Jones, said he would help Leonard build the balloon. Copy contacted a local balloon manufacturer and was able to obtain balloon material scraps for Leonard's project. Copy's wife gave Leonard a sewing machine and he began to sew his hot air balloon. After a couple of years and many attempts to fill the balloon, he realized that the balloon was too big. It was about 200' x 100', too large to fill with hot air and launch. He didn't stop trying though. Leonard's tenacity, strong sense of purpose, and faith continued to drive him forward. He developed a special apparatus to create enough hot air to fill to the balloon. On his last attempt to launch the balloon, in Niland, CA, Leonard realized that the project had taken too long; his balloon material had rotted. All of his work was gone. He gave up, but only for a short period of time.

Leonard was no quitter and he told himself that. He felt he had to succeed in spreading the word of Jesus. Leonard came up with a new idea to build an eight foot balloon out of cement in Niland, CA near Slab City. He only intended to stay for a week to finish this new project, but he never left.

While the cement balloon was another failure, collapsing due to an excess of water in the cement mix, Leonard's dream was not over. The balloon project had led him Niland, CA and to a better idea that would end up being his life's work . . . to build a mountain. In 1984 Leonard began work on his new project and it became the pinnacle of his life's purpose. He called it "Salvation Mountain." The mountain was started with a bucket, some adobe clay and water. There was no running water or electricity where he planned to build his mountain. It must have been a lot of work to haul in all the water needed to mix with the clay. With devotion and determination, Leonard began to build his vision, a mountain that would enable him to spread the word of Jesus.

Twenty-five years later, Salvation Mountain can be seen from a distance, its colorful design standing out against the desolate desert that surrounds it, a beacon of hope and love where it is least expected. Visitors from around the world travel to Niland, CA to visit Salvation Mountain. They have perhaps come across it on the internet, heard about it from a friend, read about it, or seen it on television. Leonard's dream of spreading the word of Jesus has been achieved.

It was a long, hard road for Leonard. He had to fight on several occasions to keep his mountain. In 1994 the county wanted to turn Slab City into a fee-based campground. Because Salvation Mountain was a religious monument they could not implement a fee-based campground. The county tried to make claims that the yellow paint used on the design of the mountain was toxic. They claimed that Salvation Mountain would have to be removed. They had soil engineers deem the location a toxic hazard. This did not stop Leonard. He hired his own soil engineers to test the soil and they found nothing but clean soil. Leonard won the battle that time. And guess what? He got more free publicity out of the battle than he ever dreamed possible. The story made it to the L.A. Times and other news networks.

The Salvation Mountain that stands today is really a second version. The first version collapsed after a light rain destroyed the entire mountain. Leonard says he asked God to help him build it again. Using a different combination of materials, combining the adobe clay with bales of hay, Leonard rebuilt Salvation Mountain. On the dome, a section in the newer museum portion of the project, he made sure each bale had a support beam bolted to the bales. The support beams were branches Leonard found in the surrounding desert. Visitors brought him car windows and other odds and ends that he inserted to bring light into his museum.

Leonard Knight was a simple man with a simple message . . . Jesus loves you. He was an artist, a man of faith and a man with more determination and purpose than most.

A Visit to Salvation Mountain

Leonard Knight lived on the property of Salvation Mountain in one of the old vehicles that was part of the project. He welcomed all visitors and was always happy to give tours and to tell people about his project. After all, it was his life's purpose, to spread the word! You can still stop by and visit Salvation Mountain. You can take a walk up the yellow brick road to the top of the Mountain for a view of the surrounding area. Tour the museum, the last section of the project that Leonard built. He built and painted trees out of car and tractor tires covered with clay. The branches are made from wood he found. Leonard covered them with adobe clay and punched in colorful flowers. If you had some spare paint lying around your garage, you could take it out to Leonard. He always welcomed more paint. He estimated that he used over 100,000 gallons of paint over 25 years.

Salvation Mountain is located at Slab City near Niland, CA and the Salton Sea. There is no running water or electricity at the location.

Author's Note - Sept. 2015: Time took its toll on Leonard Knight and his Salvation Mountain. In 2010 his hearing and eyesight began to fail, forcing him to leave his beloved Salvation Mountain. In December of 2011, additional health problems caused his move to a caregiver facility east of San Diego, CA. Leonard tried to visit the Mountain every few months when possible.

Leonard Knight died on February 10, 2014 at the convalescent hospital in eastern San Diego County where he had been a resident for more than two years. He had suffered the ravages of diabetes, along with other ailments of old age. He was 82 years old.

Salivation Mountain is now being cared for by a non-profit group, Salvation Mountain Inc. It has hired a caretaker to maintain the site, and to protect it from vandals and thieves. The desert's natural elements, rain, wind, and heat, create the need for constant maintenance of Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain.
Click here for more about Slab City and Salvation Mountain.
Day Trippin' Along Highway 111 - Bombay Beach at the Salton Sea, Bashford's Hot Mineral Spa, and the town of Niland, CA, home of Salvation Mountain and Slab City.
More on the area
Salvation Mountain, East Jesus and the Kinetoscope are all located in Slab City near Niland, CA, USA.

The Salton Sea | Salvation Mountain | East Jesus | Kinetoscope | Airplane Man of Slab City

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by Lynn Bremner The mountain is called Salvation Mountain, and the man who built it is named Leonard Knight. It took 25 years of hard labor, endless buckets of adobe clay, 100,000+ gallons of paint, thousands of hay bales and one man with unwavering faith to build a mountain.

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I thought this was an interesting look into what future types of tourism could look like. It made me think about how  people already travel to participate in marches or protests, how this could easily become an enormous industry. It seems like these types of tourism reflect a shift in values, or at least an adjustment of actions to match stated values. I hope we are headed towards a tourism industry that values learning the many layered truths that can co-exist in both urban and rural environments today. Instead of tourism forcing places to bend backwards and cover the nasty parts of history so tourists can have a sweetly ignorant holiday, we should acknowledge each place has been influenced by all of its history and offering different levels of engagement with social and historical issues could be a great way to create a more caring global community.

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Ten years ago, a group of around 25 young Americans were greeted by Mozambican politician and humanitarian Graça Machel in the country's capital, Maputo. The tour's organizer, Prexy Nesbitt, had worked with Machel, the widow of former president of Mozambique Samora Machel and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, to set up a special seminar connecting young Mozambican activists with these American counterparts. The only catch? Nesbitt had to go sit on the bus, because the twenty-somethings wanted to be able to talk in private.

"I had to go and read for a couple of hours," Nesbitt jokes. Some of the Americans who went on that trip later became Black Lives Matter organizers.

For decades, Nesbitt has been deeply involved in liberation struggles in southern Africa. The Chicago native first became involved in civil rights activism in his hometown, but travels to southern Africa and Sweden in the mid-1960s broadened his perspective and introduced him to a whole host of anti-colonial struggles. He led divestment groups and support committees in his hometown of Chicago, worked as an advisor for the World Council of Churches, and served as a lobbyist for the Mozambican government during some of the worst violence in Mozambique's 15-year civil war. And just as South African apartheid was ending, he launched a new focus for his activism: travel.

"Around 1990, just about the time Mandela was released," Nesbitt recalls, "I took 20 or 25 Swedish church people from the Västerås Diocese [a division of the Swedish church] on a tour of South Africa and Lesotho. Then I started taking students, college students, and we'd take buses all over southern Africa."

For Nesbitt, the pedagogy was simple: move past stereotypes and ignorance to what southern Africa was really like. "People meeting people, and getting beyond the elephants," he says.

Others since have shared Nesbitt's instincts, and his travel group Making the Road, formally incorporated in 2000, is now part of a larger network of organizations that engages in what is increasingly termed "solidarity tourism" or "justice tourism."

"I use it [solidarity tourism] as an umbrella term for a lot of different forms of tourism: decolonial tourism, critical tourism, or political tourism," says Jennifer Kelly, a sociologist at University of California, Santa Cruz. The practice is in many ways a direct result of the tourism practices it critiques; implicit in it is a critique of the way that traditional tourism comes with significant environmental costs, essentializes and exoticizes people elsewhere, and reduces them economically to providing services for visitors. "It's really crucial to understand that tourism facilitates colonialism and replicates colonial state practice," Kelly adds.

Solidarity tourism grew out of both the rise of mass tourism in the mid-20th century, which has grown to be a trillion-dollar industry, and the rise of transnational activism. Groups like the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker activist group, and other religious organizations sent study-abroad trips to places like South Africa and Israel beginning in the 1950s. Revolutionary movements like the Sandinistas in Nicaragua in the 1970s also attracted travelers interested in seeing what conditions on the ground were really like.

Drawing on these earlier traditions, today's solidarity tourism groups push back against travel as a consumptive industry that can be environmentally and socially destructive. They instead create economic opportunities for local communities, foster real cultural exchanges between tourists and residents, and educate participants about the social, political and environmental issues at play in the places that they visit.

Making the Road's name comes from a quote from Paulo Freire, the late Brazilian educator and philosopher who professed that the educational process was about applying knowledge in ways that better societies: "We make the road by walking." Now, more than two decades after its founding, groups led by Nesbitt visit Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where they meet with activists, artists, politicians and historically significant figures.

Averaging one or two offerings a year, with groups of up to 40 participants, Making the Road tailors its travel experiences to its clients. A "typical" trip to Africa includes a couple of days in Johannesburg to see the Apartheid Museum and Soweto [a township outside of Johannesburg that was the site of anti-apartheid organizing and violence for years], followed by a stop in Windhoek, Namibia, to meet with Namibian labor leaders, and concluding in Mozambique to visit with local artists. However, the itineraries also vary substantially. One trip in 2009 was focused on poets, and the group of logophiles spent time with the late Kerapetse William Kgositsile, a South African poet and luminary, as well as revolutionary and freedom poet Jorge Rebelo in Mozambique, and anti-apartheid activist and writer Hugh Lewin in South Africa. In total, more than 400 people have participated in Making the Road trips since its founding.

Kelly studies solidarity tourism in the context of Palestine, where tour operators welcome visiting groups and acquaint them with conditions in the Occupied Territories. In her own research, she's learned how both tourists and locals can benefit from this travel trend, which tracks with increased interest globally in sustainable and ethical travel. A decade ago, Kelly says solidarity tourism made up only 5 percent of the entire Palestinian tourism industry, but it has grown since then. Pastors from American churches visit Palestine so that they can bring lessons back to their congregations, prison abolitionists from the United States network with people doing similar work across borders, and corporate accountability advocates learn more about how international businesses are behaving in the Occupied Territories.

Another group, in Hawaii, called DeTours runs similar tours aimed at deconstructing the tourist understanding of the islands. Kyle Kajihiro founded the Honolulu-based educational tour group with Terry Keko-olani.

"It began informally because I used to work for the American Friends Service Committee, and visiting friends, activists and scholars would have meetings in Hawaii," Kajihiro explains. "But it always frustrated me that when folks think of Hawaii, they switched off part of their brain that was critical and conscientious."

Informal exposure tours, where local guides take tourists to sites, became a way to counter what Kajihiro calls "popular discourses that portray Hawaii as a tourist playground and as a multicultural paradise." To Kajihiro, those narratives are destructive because they obscure the ongoing effects of settler-colonialism and militarism.

The first of those occurred in 1997, when Kajihiro led a group of visiting activists around the island. Now, DeTours offers four to six tours a year to visit military sites and other important places in Hawaiian history. Notably, the tour group doesn't take money and runs entirely off of volunteer labor.

"We don't have a presence on the internet, and I had to think about why that is," Kajihiro says. "When people are paying for something, it changes what they expect to get."

DeTours' intent is to underscore the very real challenges facing the Hawaiian Islands. The group makes frequent stops at Pearl Harbor to share the site's history separate from the attack on December 7, 1941, first as a critical fishery for Indigenous Hawaiians, and today as a Superfund site contaminated by military activity. Trips also show how Indigenous Hawaiians and others have resisted in places like Kahoolawe, the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in Hawaii, where the U.S. military relinquished the land and started a cleanup process. Tours include visits to the Iolani Palace, the last residence of the Hawaiian monarchy, but also to working-class neighborhoods like Kalihi that are not part of a normal tourist itinerary. Visits usually end at the Hanakehau Learning Farm, where Indigenous Hawaiians are working to restore land damaged by military pollution. A goal of DeTours is to impart kuleana, or the belief in responsibility to the land and what it is owed, to visitors, so that they contemplate what their relationship should be to a place that isn't their home.

For Kajihiro, the Covid-19 pandemic has in some ways presented an opportunity to rethink what people really want from a tourist-driven economy.

"I'd like to abolish the word 'tourism,'" he says. "It does something really problematic by turning it into a consumptive, extractive experience. Journeying to other places and meeting other people can be a good thing, an enriching thing, a building of solidarity."

Breaking Down Barriers Worldwide

With trips around the globe, here are five more groups participating in solidarity tourism.
Eyewitness Palestine
Eyewitness Palestine takes visitors to the occupied territories to help them learn more about the conditions facing Palestinians and to meet with both Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers. Founded in 2001, the educational program began as an outgrowth of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace and justice organization in the U.S. Eyewitness Palestine is leading three delegations this year, dealing with conditions faced by Palestinian farmers, race and class, and more.
Global Exchange
Founded in 1988 (with the help of one of Nesbitt's associates, Kevin Danaher), Global Exchange uses travel to critique globalization and unethical business practices in the global South. The group offers dozens of "reality tours" each year to spots worldwide, shedding light on global problems and, as its website notes, suggesting "ways in which we can contribute to positive change locally and internationally." Upcoming trips in 2022, which support local lodgings and guides, include an 8-day trip to Oaxaca during Holy Week to meet with Indigenous activists and a 10-day trip to Cuba to learn more about the country's health care system and Covid-19 response.
Communities for a Better Environment - Toxic Tours
Participants in Toxic Tours visit parts of California where pollution and environmental catastrophes affect the poor and socially marginalized. Communities for a Better Environment began running these trips in 1995 to show visitors to California how oil refineries, recycling plants, ports and other infrastructure can lead to asthma, birth defects and cancer in the people who live in the vicinity of them.
Insider Peace Tours of Viet Nam
Run by a chapter of Veterans for Peace, this group leads annual two-week trips to Vietnam to learn about the country's reconstruction and its history before and during the war. Participants are frequently Vietnam veterans or peace activists who use the tour as an opportunity to reflect on their war experiences. Attendees are required to donate a minimum of $1,000, which goes towards community needs, like bomb clearing work and help for victims of Agent Orange. Since 2012, the group has raised $250,000 for these efforts.
AfroLatino Travel
For 12 years, this group, which describes itself as a "network of Black Latin Americans based throughout the Americas," has organized travel opportunities for student groups and individuals that provide greater awareness of the African diaspora and community. They offer tours to a variety of different countries-Peru, Panama, Cuba, Colombia, and more-with programming themed around the history of the African diaspora in Latin America as well as Afro-Latinx culture. "We craft trips where you get to the heart of African history, cultures, spirituality, food, music and dance all with the support of the Black community and business in each destination," notes the group's website. They suspended in-person tours in 2021 and have yet to announce any for 2022, but, in the meantime, the group is offering virtual workshops on cultural topics.

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Tourism Gets a Refresh in the Hands of Activists Seeking to Decolonize the Industry

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Ten years ago, a group of around 25 young Americans were greeted by Mozambican politician and humanitarian Graça Machel in the country's capital, Maputo. The tour's organizer, Prexy Nesbitt, had worked with Machel, the widow of former president of Mozambique Samora Machel and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, to set up a special seminar connecting young Mozambican activists with these American counterparts.

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I think this article really relates to the idea of too much photography and tourist photography a lot. Basically, what has happened in this situation is that two wedding photography companies took pictures at locations in Hawaii that require specific permits to commercially photograph at. Not only did they take photos at these locations but they even used drones to fly around and capture specific views. This article goes on to discuss how there are many locations in Hawaii that are illegal to photograph. Some places are illegal to shoot in hope of preserving the land but others are illegal because they are culturally significant. Not only is this bad because it's obviously illegal but because they are advertising wedding pictures like this more and more people are going to want to get the same shot and as the article mentions that can end up being culturally inappropriate. Photography companies like the two mentioned in the article are causing Hawaiian lawmakers to become more and more strict which hurts all of the other photography companies that are following the rules. This really shows how people who don’t know the significance of a place or their actions at a place can really harm the wellbeing of everyone. Is snapping those couple good pictures in this location really worth the fines or even jail time? It is disappointing to think that some people don't care to do research or have enough respect to follow rules that are set because they think that they deserve to snap those pictures and whatever. This is a common theme in all of Hawaii where tourists who don't have any knowledge (or if they do they don't care) the importance of certain things take advantage of the nature and the culture and this can be really harmful.

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Two wedding photography companies in Hawaii have been issued cease-and-desist orders.

According to Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources, the companies didn't receive proper permits.

Experts said that the rule-breakers are creating "unhealthy expectations" for wedding photos in Hawaii.

Hawaii's island of Kaua'i issued cease-and-desist letters to two wedding-photography companies, Hawaii Star first reported.

Bradyhouse Photographers and The Foxes Photography were instructed to stop taking photos at popular locations because they do not have the proper permission or permits, according to the Hawaii Star. The orders were issued after state officials found images of off-limit locations on the photography companies' websites and social media accounts, Hawaii News Now reported.

Places, like the iconic Wailua Falls or Kalepa Ridge, are popular shots for newlyweds and engaged couples, but in order to photograph there, commercial photographers must obtain proper permits. Without a permit, photographers can receive fines and jail time.

Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua'i Visitors Bureau, told the Hawaii Star that she's seen photographers chartering boats and shooting wedding photos at Honopū, which is a landmark valley on the island. Actions like this she said are "100% illegal and culturally inappropriate."

"It's so important right now to make sure the rules that are in place are followed for the protection of the place, for the couples who are visiting, and for Kaua'i residents," Kanoho added.

In a statement to Hawaii News Now, Bradyhouse Photography said the company had been following protocols, and the Hawaii Star found records through the Hawai'i State Film Office that the company had obtained some permits.

But a representative for the Department of Land and Natural Resources told the Hawaii Star that it wouldn't issue permits for some of Bradyhouse Photography's photo locations.

"Our review of photographs on the company website, as well as on its social media pages, clearly show images from Kalepa Ridge, Wailua Falls, drone shots in Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Parks, as well as from Hanakāpīʻai Beach and Honopū in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park," Curt Cottrell, the division of state parks administrator for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, told Hawaii Star.

"Many of these places are both naturally and culturally sensitive and we would not be issuing permits for commercial drone operations or wedding photos in these sensitive locations," Cottrell continued.

On the island of Kaua'i, there are at least 65 photographers actively following the rules and are part of the Kaua'i Wedding Professionals Association. But the rule-breaking photographers are creating "unhealthy expectations" for illegal images, Mike Danderand, the president of the association, told the Hawaii Star.

"The biggest problem we're finding," Danderand said, "is photographers who follow the rules, respect the island, and respect the culture are getting cut out because other photographers don't follow the rules."

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Two Hawaii wedding photography companies ordered to stop photographing couples in illegal, off-limit locations

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Two wedding photography companies in Hawaii have been issued cease-and-desist orders. According to Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources, the companies didn't receive proper permits. Experts said that the rule-breakers are creating "unhealthy expectations" for wedding photos in Hawaii. Hawaii's island of Kaua'i issued cease-and-desist letters to two wedding-photography companies, Hawaii Star first reported.

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Colonialism plays a huge role in the lens of tourism, shaping and narrating the modernity of stylistics and the techniques applied to exhibit works or history. Museums and cultural centers; as much as they are a space of value and history, the methodology and essentialist qualities that it pertains imbues this perspective of colonialism. Ideas of collection, trade and ownership come to question when 'authenticity' are compared and contrasted, moreover to be showcased for the public.

I chose this article because it highlights the aspects of tourism in the museum and gallery context, furthermore bringing to light the contextual applications of colonialism and its influence in the production of this cultural center.

The Portuguese colony in the 16th century transported roughly 4.5 million African slaves, making the largest segments of Brazilian society. Bahia alone imported 1.3 million men, women and children. As the locations of the importation shifted throughout the years, more than 90% of Africans that arrived in Bahia came from either the Bight of Benin or Central Africa.

Bahia, the location in Salvador Brazil is named after the Portuguese word baía, which means "bay."

"Benin City has long been famous for its “bronzes”—actually brass work, some of which is said to date from the 13th century—and for its ivory and wood carvings."

"Despite the large influx of Islamic slaves, most of the slaves in Brazil were brought from the Bantu regions of the Atlantic coast of Africa where today Congo and Angola are located, and also from Mozambique."

(Benin City (country in West Africa)  - "Casa do Benin")

There is something to be said by the formation of this cultural center on the very bay of slave trade, perhaps re-contextualizing the historical narrative of colonialism, or even the strategies of post-colonialism. Moreover, many of the works were from the collection of French photographer Pierre Verger during his trips to Africa, to study the ebb and flow between Africa and Bahia.

An interest point of mine is the incorporation of various works that highlight the provenance of culture and the metaphorical applications the curators applied when communicating the idea and histories of African roots. Along the ceilings and walls are textile fabrics that were historically produced and founded in Indonesia, though through the trade relations and colonialism by the Dutch colonies, it is highly visible the impact of the Dutch and their movements along the coasts of Southeast Asia and the West Africas.

Does the interwoven qualities of culture and history across countries a symbolic decision of including these textile/fabric works in the Casa Do Benin?

The outer shell of this place of destination is among one of many ideas to contemplate in the history of colonialism, the deep history of its origin is also a question for many historians and their understanding of essentialism and authenticity.

The future of the Casa Do Benin is indeed an interesting clause, and the applications of the space in the modern world, reinforcing the idea of how tourism plays a role in how this will be digested, understood or appreciated.

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Space to enhance Afro-Brazilian cultural relations

Do you know Casa do Benin? Inaugurated in 1988, the space is in a big house in Rua Padre Agostinho Gomes, near Taboão, in Pelourinho. In the heart of the Historic Center, Casa do Benin represents a piece of Africa where the exchange of cultures back and forth is created. This cultural space has an important Afro-Brazilian artistic and cultural collection and is maintained by the Gregório de Mattos Foundation to enhance Afro-Brazilian cultural relations.

The House has a collection of about 200 pieces from the Gulf of Benin, collected by French photographer Pierre Verger during his trips to Africa, to study the ebb and flow between Africa and Bahia. It also has pieces related to afrodiasporic culture, donated by artists and institutions. Another interesting fact is that colorful fabrics are hanging, making the place more lively. These are from the plastic artist and designer Goya Lopes, one of the pioneers to work creatively with Afro-Brazilian fashion.

Goya Lopes - Brazilian Design

The renovation has the project of the Italian-Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi. Inside the mansion there is the Pierre Verger Museum Space, where the pieces of the permanent collection with Beninese works are exhibited; the Lina Bo Bardi Exhibition Room, which hosts temporary exhibitions; and the Gilberto Gil Auditorium, a place for small community-focused events and workshops.

In the courtyard, there is the Jeje Nagô Gourmet Space, with architecture inspired by the style of old restaurants of Beninese rural communities. The "Tatassomba" is a replica of buildings from Benin, developed by architect Lina Bo Bardi, made of clay and with a thatched roof. There is also another building, all in burnt cement - one of the architect's signatures. There, there is a multifunctional room, plus a terrace from where you can see the old houses of the Historic Center with another look.

In addition, Casa do Benin organizes, promotes, disseminates and supports, through exhibitions, Bahian artists whose inspiration is African art. Therefore, the museum contributes significantly to the recognition and appreciation of this art, as well as encouraging artists who invest in and are inspired by it. Several socio-cultural and educational activities have already been carried out, such as lectures, meetings, courses, workshops and guided tours, in order to enhance and disseminate Afro-Brazilian culture knowledge, as well as effectively bringing us closer to the communities surrounding the Museum.

If you are taking a tour of the Historic Center, the good thing is to go first to Church of the Rosary of the Black People and from there to go to Benin House. It's close to each other.

Service:
Baixa dos Sapateiros, 7 - Pelourinho, Salvador-BA, 40025-005
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.
Admission is free
Phone #: (71) 3202-7890

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Casa do Benin (Benin House) - Salvador - Bahia - mix it up

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Do you know Casa do Benin? Inaugurated in 1988, the space is in a big house in Rua Padre Agostinho Gomes, near Taboão, in Pelourinho. In the heart of the Historic Center, Casa do Benin represents a piece of Africa where the exchange of cultures back and forth is created.

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It’s very interesting how we easily characterize animals with nations, most of us have seen the photos people take with the camels next to the pyramids of Giza, or the little kid playing with a dolphin in sea world, or even the photos of travelers riding an elephant somewhere in southeast Asia, or maybe the photo of a tourist carrying a koala in Australia, and so on... The wildlife experience is a big attraction to the nations that are able to capitalize from it.

This relates to this week’s class because we discuss the multiple different Gaze’s. We look into the many lenses that come from making photographic trends (touristic or institutional) as popular as they are. There is a link from institutional releases (magazines/shows) that make people want to indulge with the wildlife in the area when they are there.

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Top 10 ‘cruellest animal tourism ventures’

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World Animal Protection is calling for an end to irresponsible wildlife tourism, outlining the 10 most cruel wildlife tourism attractions.

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It's known that travel documentation is almost always visual. It can be videos and drawing, and photography. And usually, these visualizations contain people, especially the traveler. However, I have a fascination with places that no longer include humans. So I have insisted on visiting and documenting abandoned places on all of my trips. I have visited Wild West ghost towns, abandoned mines in the Rocky Mountains, old prisons where riots happened, Winston Churchill's war rooms, and many more.

I love the places where the disappearance or death of its inhabitants is the main focus. Other sites include the Parisian catacombs, where the deaths of so many people make taking your photo with thousands of skulls bizarre.

Part of my fascination with those places is the timeline in which they were abandoned. We know that ancient towns such as those covering Greece are obviously abandoned due to time; however, the timeframe for these abandoned places is uncomfortably close to our lifetimes.

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(CNN) - Once thriving spots, these villages, towns and cities now stand abandoned. Their empty buildings, streets and even cars left for nature to reclaim over the years.

Whether destroyed during war, evacuated for ammunition practice or cast aside after nearby precious metals and minerals turned out to be in short supply, here are some of the world's most fascinating abandoned towns and cities.

The ruins of this former fishing village serve as a stark reminder of the horrors of World War II.

Oradour-Sur-Glane has been left relatively untouched since June 10, 1944, when much of its population was massacred by the Waffen SS, a military branch of the Nazi Party's SS organization.

During the atrocity, men were shot and killed in barns, while women and children were also murdered when the church they were locked in was blown up. Survivors were gunned down as they fled.

Wartime leader Charles De Gaulle later decided that Oradour-Sur-Glane should be left as a testament to Nazi cruelty.

A new village with a memorial museum, open since 1999, has been built near by.

Arguably England's best known deserted medieval village, Wharram Percy, found in the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds, was once home to two stunning manor houses and a church.

The latter is the only building still standing, but the foundations of the houses, built by the noble Percy family, can still be seen, as can those of the surrounding peasant homes.

The village population dwindled for years as locals moved away due to a shift towards sheep farming. It was abandoned not long after 1500, when the last remaining residents were evicted.

Today the site, now managed by English Heritage, is a major draw for archaeologists and tourists alike.

On the front line between Republican and fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War, Belchite was the center of a weeks-long siege between August and September 1937, before finally falling to General Francisco Franco's forces in 1939.

Left much as it was then, the tiny village located south of Zaragoza in northeastern Spain stands as a memorial to those who fell, the ruins of its stunning church particularly affecting.

The deserted spot, where a new village, built in 1939, can be found close by, makes for an interesting day trip from Zaragoza.

Located in the far south of Italy, Craco's vertiginous location and spectacular architecture make it one of the most visually arresting abandoned towns in the world.

Residents began to leave after a series of landslides caused by sewage and water works in the 1960s, and Craco was left completely deserted in the wake of the Irpinia earthquake in 1980.

Since then, not only has the ghost town pulled in thousands of tourists, its also become an popular filming location, featuring in movies like 2008 James Bond offering "Quantum of Solace."

While Grand-Bassam still has a thriving population, many of its most striking buildings have been empty for years.

Once the French colonial capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the resort town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with noted structures such as the old Post Office, Central African Bank and the Hotel de France.

The history of Grand-Bassam dates back much further than the French. The Nzema people, also known as Ndenye or Apollonians, of the Ivory Coast are thought to have lived here from the 15th century, growing the town into a lively port and fishing village before the arrival of colonists.

With many of its buildings half-submerged in sand, Kolmanskop stands as an eerie reminder of what was once a buzzing town in the heart of the Namib desert.

Founded after local worker Zacharias Lewala discovered diamonds here in 1908, it saw a huge influx of German miners and became a bustling hub before it was finally abandoned in 1956.

Built to mimic a German town, Kolmanskop had a ballroom, a casino and even a tram system.

Tourists come here to witness how the desert has reclaimed the buildings, with the entire town slowly disappearing forever beneath the sand.

Perhaps the most famous of the Wild West boomtowns of the late 19th century, Bodie's population grew from a handful of prospectors to 10,000 people in the late 1870s.

With rich seams of gold to be found, people flocked to the Californian town, positioned near the Nevada border, to make their fortune, with an incredible 65 saloons, a Wells Fargo bank and even a Chinatown replete with Taoist temple.

But Bodie's appeal had faded by the early 20th century, as other boomtowns rose to prominence, and its population fell to just 120 in 1920.

The deserted town's well-preserved buildings make it a memorable stop off on Wild West tours today.

Also known as Battleship Island, Hashima, off the coast of Nagasaki, operated as an undersea coal mining facility between 1887 and 1974.

But it was cast aside as demand for coal dissipated, and nature has since taken over the buildings on the island.

While its become a significant tourist destination over the years, Hashima has a dark past, having been used as a forced labor camp during World War II.

Over 1,000 Korean and Chinese civilians and prisoners of war are said to have perished here.

Situated high above the Arctic Circle on the Svalbard archipelago, Pyramiden was once a successful coal mining settlement.

Sold to the Soviets by Sweden in 1927, the remote town is dotted with classic architecture from the Communist period, from housing blocks to a Heliport.

Coal hasn't been mined here since 1998, but tourists can now stay at a dedicated hotel and book official tours of its neglected buildings.

Those who visit Pyramiden will first need to reach the remote town of Longyearbyen, before taking a boat or snowmobile for the final stretch.

Pripyat was given city status in 1979, some nine years after it was founded to house workers at the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The Ukrainian city was home to around 50,000 people when it was evacuated on April 27, 1986, following the now infamous disaster at Chernobyl.

While tourists have been arriving here in increasing numbers, despite the dangers from nuclear fallout, in recent years, this remains a deeply melancholy place, frozen in time.

In early 2020, former residents of Pripyat returned for the first time as part of celebrations to mark 50 years since it was established.

When villagers in Tyneham, in the bucolic county of Dorset, were ordered to leave by Britain's War Office in November 1943, they assumed they'd be back once World War II was over.

However, having used the village to train troops in the run up to D-Day -- the military term for the first day of the Normandy landings -- the UK government took out a compulsory purchase order in 1948.

Tyneham now serves as part of the military firing ranges that make up this part of England, although it is open to the public at weekends and on select public holidays.

Wildlife has taken over somewhat, with rare species making the most of a lack of nearby farm fields or resident human population.

Abandoned since 1941, a year after its once productive mine was closed, Ruby remains one of the best preserved ghost towns in the US.

Positioned close to the Mexico border, the town boomed in the 1930s, with a population of 1,200 mostly mining gold, silver, lead and zinc.

Ruby is now privately owned, and visitors can pay around $15 to spend a day exploring its derelict buildings and miles of desert trails.

The town's well preserved jail, school house and mine works make it a fascinating place to visit.

Billed as the first official town in the harsh outback of Central Australia, Arltunga has a long indigenous history dating back 20,000 years.

However, the ghost town that remains was built in 1887 by European settlers in search of gold, and had a population of around 300 at one stage.

While it's possible to visit Arltunga, situated east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, to view its well preserved mineworks and other buildings all year, it's best to go between April and September, when the weather is cooler.

A once popular tourist destination in the Cypriot city of Famagusta, Varosha was abandoned in 1974 following Turkey's invasion of Cyprus.

The resort town has lain idle since then. Its apartment blocks left to crumble, its decaying streets fenced off.

However, there have been moves to reopen the area, with Turkish nationals and residents of Turkish Cyprus permitted to visit when the beach was reopened in 2021.

Inevitably, it has become a flashpoint in a conflict which has rumbled for decades, with Greek Cypriots who were forced to leave the area complaining about a lack of access.

Ghost towns and villages surround Vorkuta in Russia's bitter Arctic north, a legacy of its time as a booming coal mine.

The coal here was once mined by prisoners at the area's cruel and infamous Gulag between the 1930s and 1960s.

In the years that followed, miners were enticed to this brutal place for work by high salaries.

When the mining stopped following the collapse of the Soviet Union, locals departed, leaving a series of villages that have been covered in ice and frozen in time.

Preserved as a museum and designated by UNESCO as a "world friendship and peace village," Kayakoy has become something of a tourist mainstay for visitors to this southwestern corner of Turkey.

However, its abandonment speaks of the bitter conflict in the wake of World War I, when Greece and Turkey fought for control of the wider region and a population exchange led to residents being unable to return to their ancestral homes.

It hasn't taken nature long to run wild across the abandoned buildings of Houtouwan.

Found on Shengshan Island, close to Shanghai, this once vibrant village of more than 2,000 people was left behind in the early 1990s after residents struggled to access food due to the area's remoteness and complained of issues with education.

Now the houses that rise up its hills are camouflaged beneath creeping greenery, with tourists flocking to see it up close.

Bankhead has the added bonus of being located in the majestic Banff National Park, based in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.

A former coal mining town of around 1,000 people, many of its works and buildings were removed after the mine was shut due to labor strikes in 1922.

But it's still possible to explore the area on an excellent interpretative hiking trail, which takes in key buildings that are still standing, as well as offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Wandering the incredible ruins of Hampi, it's easy to imagine how this place thrived during the 14th and 15th centuries, becoming one of the largest and most important cities in the world.

The capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, it was destroyed by sultanate armies in the 16th century. Hampi's remaining, beautifully preserved forts, temples and markets helped it earn UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986.

Founded on the banks of Laguna Epecuén in the 1920s, Epecuen was a resort town designed to offer weary residents of Argentina's capital city Buenos Aires a much needed break.

Drawn to its apparently restorative salt waters, visitors flocked here for years, until disaster struck in 1985.

A rare "seiche," a standing wave which occurs on a closed body of water, led to a dam bursting and the town being flooded. The water finally receded in 2009, with buildings left encrusted in salt.

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the world's most fascinating abandoned towns and cities - cnn

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The world's most fascinating abandoned towns and cities

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(CNN) - Once thriving spots, these villages, towns and cities now stand abandoned. Their empty buildings, streets and even cars left for nature to reclaim over the years. Whether destroyed during war, evacuated for ammunition practice or cast aside after nearby precious metals and minerals turned out to be in short supply, here are some of the world's most fascinating abandoned towns and cities.