Far from the white sand beaches, “taphototourism” is more akin to the sad atmosphere of All Saints’ Day. Vinícius Barros, who is the originator of the term, explains its symbolism to us.
If for many, vacations rhyme with relaxation and outdoor discoveries, some find another, more atypical route, like “taphototourism”. Passionate about this area for ten years, Vinícius Barros tells us about his journey and the attraction for these places steeped in history.
Behind this expression, we discover the journey of a committed taphophile. During the All Saints' Day holidays, this 35-year-old entrepreneur explains his taste for the obscure: “I started going to cemeteries more and more often and realized that I had fallen in love with this practice. So I said to myself that there must be a name for someone passionate about cemeteries like me, and I discovered that they were called taphophiles“. “Tapho”, from the Greek “tàphos”, meaning tomb or burial.
Visits to commemorative sites, often described as “necrotourism” or “thanatourism”, take on a more engaging and contemplative aspect here thanks to the initiative of Vinícius Barros. Keen to avoid the negative connotation of these terms, he adopted the concept of “taphototourism” to create an experience based on four pillars: history, art, biodiversity and sustainability. “We believe in a richer visiting experience, where contemplation of the place takes precedence over the notion of death“, he explains.
“I was pursued by the fear of death”
However, ten years ago, Vinícius was far from being a fan of this universe. Doctor in life sciences and former researcher in the pharmaceutical field, he says: “Because of my work, I was tormented by the fear of death, the fear of dying. So I started to tell myself that I had to find out where this fear came from, and to do that, I had to start by going to a place where death is present.»
This first experience acts as a real revelation: “I found myself in front of some tombs that really caught my attention, and I felt absorbed by the lives of the people, especially by the little souvenirs that were left on the tombs. And that's how I wanted to do something to honor their memory.»
Promote funeral heritage using an application
Long before popularizing the term taphototourism, Vinícius decided to launch an application dedicated to promoting funerary heritage. Called “Mementour”, it offers users thematic tours with contextual information for each selected tomb. “The idea is to highlight certain remarkable tombs but also the history of the people who rest there,” specifies the entrepreneur.
Initially, the application will present the tombs of public figures, such as those of the Père Lachaise cemetery, which welcomes 3.5 million visitors each year. During a pilot project with the Greater Paris metropolis, the latter will also be one of the first cemeteries integrated into Mementour, as well as the cemeteries of Montparnasse, Montmartre and Passy, as well as the Pont-Blanc cemetery. in Aubervilliers.
Visiting cemeteries, the new cultural attraction?
Ambitious, the project could establish itself as a new cultural activity of choice. However, some might fear that cemeteries will become places of entertainment, to the detriment of their function of contemplation. Vinícius Barros ensures that respect instructions will be displayed as soon as the application is opened.
According to him, cemeteries deserve an approach as respectful as that given to other historic places: “It’s not because I come to your house that I’m going to disrespect you; it is my behavior that determines it. For me, the real disrespect is leaving these people in oblivion. Coming and contemplating their history is a way of paying homage to them.» Pending final agreements and adequate funding, the Mementour application should see the light of day very soon.
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