Why go to a luxury destination or even to the local beach on vacation, when you can go to a nuclear explosion site? Sounds fun, right?
For fans of HBO’s Chernobyl, it apparently does.
The success of the dramatic mini-series about one of the most horrific moments in accidental explosion history has sparked interest in fans to take trips to the real disaster area in Ukraine. Yes, you read that right. In fact, Reuters reported a 40% rise in trip bookings to visit the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the series first aired in May.
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“Many people come here, they ask a lot of questions about the TV show, about all the events. People are getting more and more curious,” tour guide Viktoria Brozhko told Reuters.
Tourists from all over come to see the Chernobyl plant and Pripyat, the adjoining abandoned town. The $100 Chernobyl Tour covers various locations depicted in the series, including an eerie amusement park, as well as monuments to honour of the victims.
What can now be described as a “post-apocalyptic” location, was once home to 50,000 people, most of whom worked at the Chernobyl plant. A botched safety test in 1986 resulted in the nuclear accident, which killed 31 people immediately and forced tens of thousands more to flee to safety. Tour guides, however, note that it’s totally safe to go there now.
I believe them. But I think I’ll stick to watching the show from my couch instead.