Tourists and/as disasters: Rebuilding, remembering, and responsibility in New Orleans Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Although some have begun to study the relationships between national disasters and commercial tourism, practices of touring in the aftermath of disasters warrant closer examination. Marita Sturken argues tourists of disaster provide a metaphor for US contemporary culture, epitomizing an attitude that is superficial, distanced, and uncritical. To identify the hopeful possibilities that we can recuperate from literal practices of touring disaster, I turn to the US city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005 to explore the uses of tours as: first responses, lobbying tools, field reports, organizing tactics, and publicity. To contextualize these acts, I engage public discourses of ‘‘Katrina fatigue’’ and the politics of remembering as it relates to post-Katrina tours. From secondary research and participant observation, I then illustrate how non-commercial and commercial tourist practices after a disaster can offer compelling opportunities for rebuilding, more sustainable memories, and political critique.

publication date

  • April 1, 2009

has restriction

  • closed

Date in CU Experts

  • November 29, 2020 7:22 AM

Full Author List

  • Pezzullo PC

author count

  • 1

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1468-7976

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1741-3206

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 23

end page

  • 41

volume

  • 9

issue

  • 1