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Municipal leaders have outlawed bus companies from operating sightseeing excursions through neighborhoods where wildfires caused widespread destruction earlier this year.
The move reflects a broader national conversation about the ethics of disaster tourism. In the past, U.S. cities, especially in California, grappled with similar tensions after major catastrophes. Following the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, officials imposed nightly curfews and restricted public access to devastated areas to protect residents’ privacy and ensure safety.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans officials faced community backlash against disaster tours through flood-damaged neighborhoods. Tours were eventually limited, and residents began advocating for more respectful, restorative visitation policies. A study on “touristic disaster” explores these tensions in post-Katrina New Orleans.
This change follows reports that commercial operators were charging visitors to view property damage in Pacific Palisades areas hit by winter blazes, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Local representative Traci Park brought the proposal forward after her office received complaints from residents about the tours. Park criticized businesses for attempting to generate revenue from a community tragedy.
“My office and others have received numerous reports about commercial tour operators conducting disaster tours in the Pacific Palisades. They’re looking to profit from destruction and other people’s losses. It’s gross and it needs to be stopped, ,” Park said at a council meeting.
Fires ignited in early January this year, killing a dozen residents while destroying more than 6,000 residential and commercial properties across multiple neighborhoods. Reconstruction efforts remain incomplete several months later.
Park also cited safety concerns that add up to the newly proposed rules, noting that debris removal continues in affected zones where cleanup teams are still active.
Under the new rules, the transportation agency must prevent tour vehicles from entering locations designated as emergency disaster sites. The prohibition will stay in place throughout the official response period.
Council members additionally requested an analysis of whether bus access should be permanently limited in certain hillside areas due to infrastructure constraints.
Disaster-focused tourism creates complex dynamics for communities rebuilding after catastrophic events. While visitor expenditures can inject needed revenue into struggling local economies, the arrival of sightseers during vulnerable periods may compound residents’ emotional distress.
Academic analysis suggests that involving affected populations in tourism planning decisions helps determine whether such activities support or undermine restoration goals. Research examining earthquake recovery in Nepal demonstrates how community-guided approaches can channel tourism benefits more effectively toward local priorities.
Similar controversies have emerged following major disasters elsewhere. Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath in New Orleans saw tour operators establishing businesses around flood damage, generating criticism from residents who viewed such enterprises as exploitative.City leaders eventually restricted access to certain devastated districts under community pressure.
Meanwhile, following the 9/11 attacks, New York developed the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a formal space that balances public access with dignity and reflection.
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