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LA Times and the ethics of tourism to Giglio

Costa concordia (Vaccarezza)FLORENCE, ITALY – Eight more boides yesterday was found on Costa Concordia, the cruise ship which ran aground last month off Tuscany. According to the engineers, to remove the ship from the sea in front of the Island of Giglio will take many months, maybe more than a year. Meanwhile, Tuscan tourism officials are urging tourists to visit eight-square-mile Giglio, one of seven islets in the Tuscan Archipelago.

“The main promotion is for everyone to make a gesture of love by going to Giglio,” said Cristina Scaletti, head of Tuscany’s tourism department. But not everyone agrees. “Is it love or is it lewd to visit a place after a disaster?”, wrote yesterday The LA Times. The newspaper reported different opinions about the question.

“Wanting to see a place where disaster has struck is not always a sign of insensitivity – said Patricia Illingworth, an ethics professor at Northeastern University, to LA Times -. Going and seeing what the people are suffering or seeing the situation, that then raises empathy or allows us to empathize with the situation.”

“Some local residents may find it embarrassing or offensive for outsiders to ooh and ahh and take pictures of a broken community,” objects Dr. Tanvir Hussain, a Los Angeles cardiologist and adjunct professor of bioethics at Pepperdine University School of Law. “On the other hand, local businesses thrive off of visitors, such as restaurants and hotels, may welcome outsiders at a time when little business from locals is to be had.” The question is still open, but the summer season in Tuscany is coming.

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