Destroyed cars, houses damaged by projectiles and fences riddled with bullets, this could be the campaign of a travel agency promoting war tourism. In Ukraine, offers multiply. There are now 12 travel agencies offering tours throughout the country.
“I hope to see the bridge that was crucial in the defense of Kiev. It becomes more real, it’s not the same to just see the images.”
The visit, accompanied by a local guide, began in Horenka, the village with the greatest degree of destruction in the Kiev region. During the car journey, the guide details the battles, attacks and marks of the conflict, even those that can no longer be seen.
“They repaired the fence but, as you can see, there are still some holes in the concrete part and the gate.”
Tourists seem willing to travel hundreds of kilometers, even in winter, to visit wartime landmarks. Federico Cavalieri’s visit itinerary includes Bucha, Irpin and Borodianka with stops at places where many people died and the images went viral.
Auschwitz e Chernobyl
Dark tourism is not new to the war in Ukraine. Many other sites of tragedies, genocides and disasters have been tourist attractions.
The Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz, Polandone of the largest World War II memorial sites, attracts around 2 million visitors every year. THE Chernobyl exclusion zonein Ukraine, was also popular with tourists.
“These are emotional and very difficult visits”
In Ukraine, The majority of tourists originate from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Canada. Each one-day circuit costs the equivalent of around 200 euros, a trip to the front line can cost 1,900. Half of the amount paid by tourists is donated to the Armed Forces.
A State Agency for Tourism Development defends the carrying out of these visits, saying they are “historical and educational”. The Ukrainian government is developing training lectures for guides and creating official sites of remembrance, such as the Romanov Bridge in Irpin. Svitozar Moiseiev is one of the official guides and doesn’t like people talking about dark tourism in Ukraine.
“I wouldn’t say that I do guided tours that could be considered dark tourism. They are emotional and very difficult visits. They are true accounts of what happened here.”
