On June 13th, lava started spewing from Mayon Volcano, 3 years after its last eruption. PHIVOLCS advised people within a 6-kilometer radius to evacuate to safer areas, as the lava reaches just under 2 kilometers from the summit. 

The Department of Tourism, on the other hand, had more to add. They listed sites that are safe from danger but still close enough to witness the volcanic activity. Although seemingly dangerous, evacuation measures are prepared in case of unexpected occurrences. 

But why is tourism being promoted during a disaster?

Disaster tourism is when people visit areas struck by disaster. It can help educate tourists, spread awareness of the situation, and generate funds to aid affected people in cases of immediate disaster. This is especially true in instances where disasters hurt normal/leisure tourism, resulting in a major loss in revenue. 

It’s not all good that comes from disaster tourism though, in some cases, it can be seen as disrespectful to plighted locals. Tourists can get in the way of relief processes, and consume resources that could’ve been used for the victims of a disaster. The general factor on whether or not this type of tourism is ethical depends on the locals, and if tourism can genuinely be of help to their situation, or only serves to make companies money at the expense of their dignity. 

Though people have evacuated their homes, there are no injuries or fatalities as of now, so there should be few issues watching the eruption. This more specific type of tourism, called Volcano Tourism, is what led Iceland’s tourism revenue to skyrocket, with people flying over to witness the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Reykjavik. 

Still, a disaster is a disaster, and there will always be risks with these kinds of trips, so please take proper precautions, stay within the listed safe zones, and strictly follow evacuation orders should anything arise. As long as tourists don’t get in the way of safety measures or bother the locals, there shouldn’t be much trouble at the Mayon Volcano watch party. 

Here is the list of safe zones from the Department of Tourism.