Dark Tourism MAGAZINE | Page 3

In fact, Auschwitz has been called the very "epitome of all dark tourism" over a mi- llion visit the site annually these days, and they reckon ca. 40-50 million people have visited in total up to now. In other words: this is a place where niche tou- rism meets mass tourism. That does have some adverse ef- fects, unfortunately: a strict regime of "crowd control" has be- come a major issue here, and the presence of hordes of tour groups being shepherded through the site and the parapher- nalia of souvenir and fast-food trade can be an awkward dis- traction. It's recommended that you at least try to go at an off -peak time in order to get the most out of the place . 3