Dark Tourism

A nuclear explosion destroyed the city of Chernobyl

Have you heard of 'dark tourism'? This is travel to places that are connected with bad or sinister things. Destinations like the concentration camp at Auschwitz, the site of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in present-day Ukraine, and Ground Zero in New York, are all popular places to visit.

Rob and Neil discuss the rise in this type of holiday and why people want to go on them.

This week's question:

Robben Island in South Africa is one dark tourism destination. It's where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Do you know in which year it finally closed as a prison?

a) 1991
b) 1996
c) 1999

Original source here

tourism - the business of providing services such as transport, places to stay, or entertainment for people who are on holiday

depressing -  making you feel unhappy and without hope

catastrophic - causing huge destruction or suffering

curious - interested in finding out about things

morally wrong - against what is generally believed to be the right way of doing something

morbid fascination - an interest in things to do with death and destruction

macabre -  unpleasant or shocking because they are related to death

compelled - doing something because you feel forced to or feel it has to be done

ethics - what is believed to be the right way to behave

exploiting - (here) using something for financial gain

human nature -  the natural ways of behaving that most people share

tasteful - showing good judgement about what is suitable

memorialisation - the act of honouring someone or an event

respectful - feeling or showing admiration for someone

Rob: Welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob.

Neil: And I'm Neil. Hello.

Rob: Today we’re talking about an unusual type of tourism. Tourism is the business of providing services such as transport, places to stay, or entertainment for people who are on holiday.

Neil: But instead of providing sunny holidays in a nice hotel by the sea – this is where tourists travel to sites of death, brutality and terror. It's being called 'dark tourism'. Rob, have you ever been to any dark tourist destination – or place?

Rob: Yes. I've visited Auschwitz in Poland – a fascinating trip to an obviously depressing place. And next month I'm planning to go to Chernobyl – the site of a catastrophic nuclear accident in 1986.

Neil: So these are not your typical sightseeing trips but a visit to places that make you curious because of their significance – their importance – in history?

Rob: Exactly. We'll talk more about this soon but not before I set you today's question. Robben Island in South Africa is one dark tourism destination. It's where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Do you know in which year it finally closed as a prison?

a) 1991

b) 1996

c) 1999

Neil: I don't know but I'm going to guess a) 1991 because I think he was released in 1989 and surely they would have shut it down pretty quickly after that.

Rob: I'll reveal the answer later. So let’s talk more about 'dark tourism'. The word 'dark' is used here because it relates to places that are connected with bad or sinister things or things that could be considered morally wrong.

Neil: It's strange to want to visit places like these. There is what we call a morbid fascination – that's showing an interest in things connected with death and destruction. And these kinds of trips are on the increase.

Rob: Yes, there are organised tours to places like Ground Zero in New York, the killing fields in Cambodia and the nuclear power station in Chernobyl.

Neil: And there are the battlefields of World War I and II – and the top security prison of Alcatraz.

Rob: There are also plans to turn the disaster site of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan into a tourist destination – once the radiation is reduced.

Neil: But why do people want to visit these macabre sites? Well I mentioned curiosity and a chance to learn about history – but sometimes people just feel compelled to visit them.

Rob: But what about the ethics of dark tourism – is it wrong to make this trip? Are we not just exploiting – making money or cashing in on someone's suffering?

Neil: Doctor Phillip Stone is an expert in this subject. He's director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research. He says this type of tourism isn't new – people have been visiting these types of places for years. He says it's always been there…

Doctor Phillip Stone, Director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research:

It's not new in the sense that we are fascinated by other death and people's suffering. But it's how it's packaged up by the tourist industry.

Rob: So he says dark tourism isn't new. In fact a medieval execution was an early form of dark tourism. Maybe it's just human nature that draws us to these places? Doctor Stone says it's all about how these dark trips are packaged.

So it depends how they are sold and how tasteful they are – are they sensitive to the horrors of what has taken place?

Neil: Yes, being able to walk around a historic site or visit a museum is one thing but how about staying in a former prison in Latvia and paying to be treated like a prisoner? Or how about crawling around Vietnamese war tunnels whilst people fire guns outside?

Rob: Maybe that is taking the experience too far. Doctor Stone says there is a "blurred line between memorialisation and tourism". He means it is hard to separate going to remember an event and the people who've died with visiting somewhere as part of a holiday.

Neil: Another issue when visiting these places is how you remember your visit –you must be respectful - perhaps taking photos, yes, but should you take a 'selfie'? And should you buy a souvenir or send a postcard home?

Rob: Well you certainly wouldn't write on your postcard 'wish you were here'.

Anyway, let's now reveal the answer to the question I set you earlier.

Neil: Yes, this was about the former prison on Robben Island which is now a popular destination for dark tourism.

Rob: I asked you when it finally closed as a prison. Was it in:

a) 1991

b) 1996

c) 1999

Neil: I said 1991.

Rob: And you were wrong actually. It was in 1996. About 350,000 people now visit the site every year – which shows how much interest there is in a place that you would have once never wanted to go near. Is it somewhere you would like to visit Neil?

Neil: I'm not sure about dark tourism to be honest.

Rob: Ok Neil, could you remind us of some of the vocabulary we’ve heard today:

Neil: Yes, we heard:

Rob: Thanks. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s programme. Please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Both: Bye.

Coffee Addiction

Are you addicted to coffee?

Do you have a strong need to keep drinking coffee? Scientists are warning about the effects of being addicted to caffeine - the stimulant found in coffee.

In 6 Minute English, Rob and Finn talk about the dangers of drinking too much coffee, and look at some language associated with addictions.

This week's question:

Which country drinks the most coffee per person? Is it:

a) Egypt
b) Finland
c) Italy

You can listen here

addict - someone who likes doing a particular activity very much and they can't stop doing it

consuming - eating or drinking something

in moderation - (here) not drinking too much

aroma - pleasant smell

caffeine - natural substance found in tea and coffee that makes you feel awake

stimulant - substance that makes you feel more awake when you eat or drink it

psychoactive drug - a drug that affects how a person feels and sometimes how they behave

insomnia - medical condition where you are unable to sleep

indigestion - a pain in your stomach when it can't process the food you have just eaten

high blood pressure - blood flowing around your body at a higher pressure than is normal

lethargic - having little energy

withdrawal symptoms - physical and mental effects of stopping doing a regular activity

Rob: Mmm! A quick sip of my coffee to get me in the mood for today’s programme! Welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Rob.

Finn: And I’m Finn. Rob, you seem to be enjoying that cup of coffee…

Rob: Yes, indeed. I love all styles of coffee – that’s coffee made in different ways – you could say I am a coffee addict.

Finn: An addict. That’s someone who likes doing a particular activity very much and they can’t stop doing it. And if you have a strong need to keep drinking coffee then we could say you have an addiction.

Rob: That’s me! And that’s what we're talking about today – coffee addiction –and we’ll be talking about the dangers of drinking too much.

Finn: Another word for drinking here is consuming. We'll look at some other coffee-related language in today’s programme, too. But first, Rob, how about a question?

Rob: Yes, of course. I have a coffee-related question to ask you. Do you know which country drinks the most coffee per person? Is it:

a) Egypt

b) Finland

c) Italy

Finn: I think they're all coffee-drinking countries but I’ll say b) Finland.

Rob: OK. As always, I will let you know the answer at the end of the programme. OK Finn, I haven’t asked you yet if you drink coffee. So do you?

Finn: I do Rob, yes, but only in moderation – so that means not too much. I love the taste and the smell especially – we could call that the aroma –but it's the caffeine contained in the drink that can have a bad effect. If I drink too much it can give me headaches.

Rob: Right. Well, for me, it's the caffeine that keeps me awake. It stimulates my brain – it makes me more alert – that's why we call caffeine a stimulant. Caffeine can also be found in energy and cola drinks and even in tea.

Finn: The New Scientist magazine says caffeine is a ‘psychoactive drug’ and that 90% of people in the United States consume it every day.

Rob: Psychoactive drug – so what does that mean?

Finn: It's a drug that affects how a person feels and sometimes how they behave. The drug can be found in food like waffles and chewing gum, surprisingly – not just in drinks.

Rob: That’s why scientists who study public health are worried people don’t know how much caffeine they are taking.

Finn: Indeed. Too much caffeine can lead to insomnia.

Rob: So that’s when you can’t sleep.

Finn: And indigestion.

Rob: So that’s a pain in your stomach when it can’t process the food that you've just eaten.

Finn: And finally, high blood pressure.

Rob: So blood flowing around your body at a higher pressure than is normal. That's dangerous. Well, sometimes drinking coffee does stop me sleeping and sometimes I feel very alert and then very lethargic – you know, that's not having any energy. But I still can’t give up!

Finn: And Rob, you're not alone. We asked people on our BBC Learning English Facebook page how they felt about coffee, and we had a lot of responses.

Rob: Yumiko says: “My happiest time is smelling coffee beans just after grinding it. Fresh roasted coffee has a really good fragrance!” Fragrance is a word usually associated with perfume – but I think she just means the good smell.

Finn: Samuele says: “One cup of good espresso is the daily energy for my body and mind”.

Rob: And Rasha claims: “A cup of coffee every day is useful for our health”.

Finn: Ahmed loves coffee too, but he says: “Be aware that too much coffee is not good for your health”. So there seem to be some good effects and some bad – or negative – effects of drinking coffee, Rob.

Rob: Well, I find that if I try to give up drinking coffee, I’ll also get headaches and feel tired.

Finn: And these are what we call withdrawal symptoms – the nasty physical and mental effects of stopping.

Rob: Well, I may drink lots of coffee but not as much as people in another country. Finn, earlier I asked you if you knew the people of which country drink the most coffee?

Finn: And I said b) Finland.

Rob: And guess what – you were right! Yes, the people of Finland consume an incredible 12 kilograms of coffee per person every year. That compares with the average consumption of 1.3 kilograms per person.

OK Finn, before we go, there’s just time for you to remind us of some of the words that we heard today.

Finn: We heard:

addict

consuming

in moderation

aroma

caffeine

stimulant

psychoactive drug

insomnia

indigestion

high blood pressure

lethargic

withdrawal symptoms

Rob: Thanks, Finn.

Finn: Thank you, Rob.

Rob: Do join us again for another edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye for now!

Finn: Bye!