Actor Bryan Cranston encourages 5.5 million followers to visit Jasper. But how safe — and ethical — is it?

As wildfires in Jasper, Alberta, continued to rage on (to this day), decimating a third of the town’s buildings, Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston took it upon himself to encourage his fans to visit Western Canada. Not once, but twice.

On July 24, in an Instagram post, the actor shared that he and his wife, actress Robin Dearden, were travelling to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They went from Seattle to Vancouver (via sea plane) and, eventually, Jasper (via train).

Cranston wrote, “Ever been to Western Canada? It’s absolutely stunning. From the metropolitan setting of the vibrant Vancouver, to the Wild West town of Calgary, and all the magnificent scenery of the Canadian National Parks in between.”

In a follow-up post just last week, Cranston shared that they’d arrived in Jasper, where they stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, with “perfect weather,” and started with a tour on Maligne Lake, later spotting a few grizzly bears.

In his original post, Cranston wrote, “They’re not immune to forest fires and had a really bad one a few years ago. We’re told, this one was started by carelessness. A shame.” In an edit, perhaps after some commenters reminded him of the wildfire situation and thus inopportune climate, he clarified, “Our trip was just before the greater Jasper area was hit with a devastating forest fire. When the area recovers, they will be in great need to get up and running again and welcome tourists back to this glorious part of the world. It’s worth the trip.”

Is travelling to wildfire-ravaged regions safe? Experts explain

Now, there’s no denying some Americans love to vacation here, whether it’s in Alberta, Vancouver, Ontario, the list goes on. But when wildfires are raging, and civilians are evacuating, is it really safe?

Absolutely not, says Rachel Dodds, professor of hospitality and tourism at Toronto Metropolitan University. She explains, “No one, especially not tourists, should visit anywhere post-wildfire until all authorities have deemed it safe to do so. Emergency personnel have enough to deal with trying to save lives and infrastructure, so worrying about tourists’ safety should not be one of them.”

If you are planning a trip any time soon, she says be prepared: Do your research on the state of the situation, also determine your motivation for travelling and “ensure [it] is to assist in collective understanding, mourning and support, assisting disaster recovery and contributing to disaster risk reduction.”

The people who tend to visit disaster areas, she adds, do so out of simple curiosity, while some go to steal or hunt souvenirs, and others go to genuinely help. For example, consider the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, when folks gathered to provide resources for reconstruction and help locals rebuild.

If, on the other hand, you’re keen to have some leisure time and Instagram your way through it, ethically, it ain’t a good look. Dodds says, "[It] can be detrimental due to the implication; people exploring others’ misery by gawking or being a burden, [taking] away from the immediate needs of those who have suffered.”

Not to mention, it can be straight-up dangerous, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area, and if it has yet to be cleared as a danger. As of Monday, the fire continues to blaze, spanning 33,000 hectares. This morning, three weeks since the wildfire began, in a press conference, Jasper officials said residents could gradually start returning to town beginning August 16. Though, many have since lost their homes and businesses. Acknowledging this means it may largely be a reconnaissance mission for most, Jonathan Large, incident commander with Parks Canada, said, "We hope that this first step brings some hope to the community.”

It’s a predicament that might call to mind the recent situation in Hawai'i, where wildfires also left locals begging tourists not to come play tourist as they worked on rebuilding. However, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, tourism brings in about 70% of every dollar generated on the island of Maui. After the wildfires, the University of Hawai'i estimated that Maui lost over $13 million a day in tourist spending as tourist numbers dropped by nearly 75%. Needless to say, that’s a substantial hit to the region’s economy. So, in that scenario, can tourism be justified?

4 things to keep in mind before visiting communities struck by tragedy

“It’s not an easy one for communities who are faced with immense tragedy and loss,” says Jaylene Murray, a professor of recreation and tourism management at Vancouver Island University. “While they know their economy relies on tourism, they also know they don't have anywhere to host people and don’t need the pressure on the resources in the area given the need to support the crews that are there for the emergency and clean-up afterwards. It is imperative that tourists heed the advice of the community itself. Adding extra people (and their needs: food, water, washrooms, lodgings, etc.) is not something that communities who are in desperate times need to handle.”

If you’re stubborn, Dodds cites four standard guidelines to follow when considering visiting a place after a disaster: Give priority to the safety of disaster-affected people; If you’re not helping, you may be exacerbating the situation by also eventually needing rescue or interfering; Obey the area’s rules and regulations; Be mindful and specific in regards to any donations or assistance.

Speaking of which, you can visit the Jasper Canada website if you’re looking for where to donate and help provide resources. There, you can also follow along for disaster relief and recovery updates.

Bottom line, says Murray: “When is it OK to travel back? Once the community has given the ‘OK’ and updated their sites to signal it's time to come back and make more memories.”