How much money does Poland make off of Nazi death camps?
My investigation of how Poland’s national economy is impacted by “Dark Tourism.”
Raw script:
How much money does Poland make off of Nazi death camps?
Hetzman, Tourist from Holland:
So far here? In Poland? About 200 Euro.
Jens, Tourist from Germany:
Some hundred Euros. I was in a very nice hotel with my friend.
David, tourist from Manchester:
500 so far.
Hotels taxi, food and drink. We took a taxi here this morning. We’ve got a few more days to go.
Shanna on cam:
It’s called dark tourism and it’s the retail of death and tragedy.
Chaviva Kaufman, Israeli Resident:
I don’t want to give my money to a country that murdered millions of Jews and is now making it into a profit-making tourism industry.
Narration:
But it doesn’t matter if some people feel they don’t want to support the economy in Poland because in 2019, more than 21 million tourists did. And 2.3 million of them visited Auschwitz. That’s 11 percent.
Former Nazi camps are turning out a profit off books, films and tours — which all have a price.
Statistics show the largest numbers of arrivals of foreign tourists were in Malopolskie and Mazovietzky. It turns out, these are also the provinces that house the Auschwitz and Majdanek extermination camps. Today they’re popular attractions.
David, Manchester:
It’s nice to come on holiday and not go on a beach. Something interesting something you’re learning about, that’s what we like to do.
Narration:
Jewish themed restaurants are all over Krakow and taxi drivers we spoke with say 45 percent of people they pick up from the airport are planning to visit a camp.
Shanna on camera: Here in Auschwitz, everything costs money…. even using the bathroom.
Ilan Segal, Rabbi & Educator
It was one zloty, which is pretty common most places in Poland, then a new company got the tender and raised it to 2 zlotys, which doesn’t sound significant, but i think last year something like 2.5 million people, you can do the math and see what the growth in profit was. well it was 100%.
But Former Polish Governor Janusz Zaleski says Poland is just providing a service that people need.
Zaleski:
It’s important to stress that this is not typical leisure tourism as going to the beach or visit attractive monuments… this is a pilgrimage to extermination places and it should be distinguished that even if there are benefits to tourism, they are connected from servicing pilgrimages.
Shanna on cam: Meanwhile, money is pouring into these sites. And where is it going?
In 2018 the EU and Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage sent over 1.4 million euros to Auschwitz to maintain the old theater for activities and the international center for education. And in 2019, London’s mayor allocated 300,000 pounds in a display of support for Jewish heritage sites.
Zaleski:
Pilgrims — they need the service, so it’s not making money because or building an attraction, create an attraction for tourists.
Shanna on camera: We poured over records from the ministry of tourism here in Poland, but couldn’t find the exact percentage point that is spent specifically on holocaust tourism.
Narration: Museum directors refused to even meet with ILTV to discuss the topic of dark tourism and what the financial benefits to the national economy are. which beg s the question — how much is Poland profiting off the horrors of the Holocaust?
