Introduction to “TSUNAMI TOURISM”: Notes from Aceh, Indonesia

Author(s): Dony Adriansyah Nazaruddin, Rahmadhani Sulaiman

The 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake with magnitude of 9.0 – 9.3 on the Richter Scale triggered a big tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people all over the world. Aceh (or its full name is Aceh Darussalam province) is the area hardest-hit by the tsunami then which caused the loss of around 170,000 local people and destroyed many buildings and infrastructures. After the tsunami, Aceh become well-known all over the world. The geohazard, however, has inspired Aceh authority and supported by Indonesia government and foreign countries to build some tsunami-related sites such as the Aceh Tsunami Museum, the Tsunami Educational Park, the Tsunami Inundation Monuments, the fishing boat atop a ruined house, and the “Aceh Thanks the World” Memorial Park. The curiosity about the tragedy is driving a new kind of tourism, i.e. tsunami tourism. This paper will expose about the occurrence of the 2004 Aceh earthquake and tsunami, the emergence of tsunami tourism, and the tsunami-related sites. These sites are important not only as the centres of tsunami education and symbolic reminders of the 2004 tsunami, but also as new tourism spots in Aceh.

Tsunami, tsunami tourism, tsunami-related sites, Aceh province, Indian Ocean

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