The site of the Jonestown cult massacre, where more than 900 people died, has opened to tourists in the latest dark tourism trend – but it has been met with backlash
The location of a harrowing cult massacre, where over 900 lives were lost, has now been unveiled as a tourist spot.
Wanderlust Adventures GY is offering tours to the Jonestown massacre site within a $750 (£550) package deal, asserting their goal is to enlighten visitors about “the dangers of manipulation, unchecked authority”. Survivors have slammed the venture as “a money grab”, while some locals are distancing themselves from the dark past, choosing to leave it out of their history.
The infamous site in Guyana was the scene of one of the most lethal cult disasters on November 18, 1978. After years of deliberation over how to address the Jonestown legacy, Guyana has begun welcoming tourists to the site where the cult tragedy unfolded.
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However, this decision has sparked controversy, reports the Daily Star. Kit Nascimento, 93, who served as a government spokesman for Guyana during the time of the massacre, has voiced his disapproval.
He remarked that reopening the sites merely revives an image that had been diminishing and referred to the massacre as an American calamity that just happened to take place on Guyanese land. “It’s of no consequence whatsoever to the current population,” he commented.
“And I don’t think we have a particular responsibility to teach the world about cults.” John Cobb, a survivor of the appalling event, has condemned the tourist attraction as “a money grab to capitalise on a tragedy.”
The 66-year-old tragically lost a staggering 11 family members to the cult, including his mother and five siblings. In 1977, Mr Jones, along with hundreds of followers, relocated to Guyana to establish what he touted as a self-sustaining, interracial community. Cult entrants were obliged to surrender their life savings, passports, and belongings, and worked gruelling 12-hour days.
Following allegations of physical abuse and financial fraud by relatives of cult members, the US launched a legal probe into Mr Jones and his cult, known as the Peoples Temple. In 1978, after several members tried to defect, Mr Jones orchestrated a shooting that claimed the lives of three journalists, a Peoples Temple member, and Mr Ryan, a California congressman who was investigating Jonestown following reports of abuse from relatives of cult members.
Anticipating the downfall of Jonestown after the congressman’s death, Mr Jones arranged a mass suicide. Under the watchful eyes of armed guards, Mr Jones commanded his followers to drink spiked punch. Some cult members were even forcibly injected.
Roselyn Sewcharran, the company’s owner, insists that the aim of the tourist attraction is not to sensationalise but to educate visitors about “the dangers of manipulation, unchecked authority and the circumstances that led to this devastating event.” She said: “I’ve always been curious about social issues and their impact.
“There genuinely was a desire to learn more about this significant chapter of our past.” Despite facing criticism, some contend there’s a double standard in our view of “dark tourist locations”, pointing out that tourists regularly visit sites like Auschwitz and the Colosseum.
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