The scene of the largest mass murder-suicide in recent world history is becoming a tourist attraction, according to a report from NBC News on Thursday, Dec. 12. A South African tour group is turning the site of Jonestown in Guyana, where more than 900 adults and children died in 1978, into a travel destination.
The first tour group is reportedly ready to visit the site in January. The experience costs $650 and meant for small groups. Visitors will get an overnight experience to educate them on the lessons of the tragedy. The tour company’s owner says while tragic, Jonestown is an important part of the country’s history and has “global significance.”
With the help of the Guyanese government, Wanderlust Adventures will teach about “cult psychology, manipulation and abuse of power.” All while taking people to notable spots where the massacre unfolded.
Once a commune founded by American Rev. Jim Jones and hundreds of his followers, the living compound would later become home to the Jonestown Massacre. Jones ordered his followers to drink cyanide mixed with a flavored beverage.
A U.S. representative and two NBC News crew members died, while a congressional staffer sustained injuries that day. They were shot while attempting to board a plane after visiting the commune.
Despite the history, some in Guyana are reportedly uneasy about tourists visiting a site with such a dark past.
However, Wanderlust Adventures disagrees, noting that tourists from all over the world pay to see places like Chernobyl in Ukraine and Nazi concentration camps in Poland. The owner of the company adds, “it’s not to dwell on the tragedy” but rather to “understand the events” and make sure “histories are neither repeated nor forgotten.”
