But Will The World Really End in 2012?

If the Mayan calendar is correct, the world is going to end in 2012. That's why tourists have been heading to Tikal, Guatemala, ground zero of the conspiracy set. All this week, Jonathan Franklin and Morten Andersen, the guys behind Addict Village will be looking into the madness behind the newest tourism trend, Doomsday Tourism.

Damage. Destruction. Disaster. The Mayan prophecy of the world order being shattered was too dramatic for Hollywood to ignore --- hence the current media blitz over the movie 2012 and the ensuing slogan/website/marketing campaign �You Were Warned.�

If anyone can claim that Hollywood slandered, exaggerated and bastardized their history it�s the Mayans. 2012 runs like a sequel to "Independence Day" or "The Day After Tomorrow," not surprising as Roland Emmerich directed all three.

In this latest world is ending flick, Emmerich tries to shove the doomsday interpretation of Mayan mythology down our collective consciousness, though most scholars and Mayan experts see the calendar predictions are far more subtle. Ultimately the Mayan doomsday calendar frenzy says more about our current state of affairs (subtle understanding that global environment is falling to pieces) than it does about either our appreciation or understanding of Mayan symbols.

In the end, the Mayan civilization and populations collapsed as they over exploited land, forests and water supplies. In that vein, you don�t have to be a visionary to see the similarities with contemporary crisis in the making. Perhaps the calendar is exact, but even if 2012 passes without a cataclysm, the warning signs are on the horizon.

Click here to read all of the stories from this week about Doomsday Tourism

Related Stories:
· 2012 [Official Site]

Text and photo by Morten Andersen.

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