Corruption tourism

Canada entices tourists with its natural beauty. Italy leans on Tuscany’s gorgeous landscapes. In the Czech Republic, one tourist outfit is banking on something different entirely: political corruption.

Under the slogan, “Best of the worst,” Prague’s Corrupt Tour takes visitors to places touched by the country’s many corruption scandals, which include lucrative government contracts awarded to single bidders, and others that required hefty bribes. One of their most popular tours, “Safari,” takes visitors to the massive estates of business people alleged to have inked shady deals. “Our target is to get Czech corruption on a UNESCO list of the world’s cultural heritage,” organizer Pavel Kotzya told Reuters of his tongue-in-cheek tourist campaign.

Anna Grzymala-Busse, an expert in post-Communist politics, told The Economist the Czech Republic, which ranks among the world’s most corrupt countries, has experienced “state capture,” where the ruling elite governs in its own interest. That’s good news for Corrupt Tour, at least: it seems they’ll continue to have a lot to showcase.