Interesting think piece from National Geographic from a couple years back regarding the unfortunate side of Witch Trial tourism. It begins:
‘Centuries after a witch panic swept through Europe and parts of America, witches still cast a mighty spell. They’re ascribed astonishing powers, romanticized, and reincarnated as Halloween decorations. They star in film, on stage, and on TV, often depicted as “wicked,” but sometimes as “good,” and even lovable.
‘In reality, witches and those accused of using magic are real people. Their stories—appropriated and not always accurately told—bring revenue to places associated with the occult, places such as Salem, Massachusetts, and Zugarramurdi, the “Salem of Spain.”
‘But with increasing awareness of present-day persecution of people—mostly women—for witchcraft around the world, there’s a growing unease about how we remember the men, women, and children lost to witch hunts in tourist towns. The question is: How do we balance commemoration with commodification? The answer isn’t easy.’
Read the whole piece
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/a-better-way-to-commemorate-the-witch-hunts
