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Hunting HUMANS will become big business for the super wealthy within 100 years according to a leading tourism expert.

It may sound like an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie but the dystopian vision could become even become an attraction for stag parties, team building exercise and sightseers, a report claims.

And by 2200 it could even become a televised public spectacle, like Arnie's sci fi classic The Running Man or, more recently, The Hunger Games , it added.

The nightmare prediction comes from Daniel Wright, senior lecturer in tourism at the University of Central Lancashire in a paper for the scientific journal Futures.

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He outlined a world ravaged by economic and ecological disasters , leading to overpopulation and a huge gap between rich and poor.

But, he said, it also reflect both the past when public executions attracted huge crowds, to the craze for 'Dark Tourism' that is currently work billions a year.

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This includes scenes of death from battlefields to Ground Zero, concentration camps open to the public and even museums dedicated to murderers such as Jack the Ripper or Dracula.

Rich Americans currently pay huge fees to hunt down and murder innocent big game in Africa.

Hunting humans as an underground sport could happen as early as 2100, the report suggests, but becoming an authentic tourism experience by 2200.

Of course the world will have to take a turn for the worse to reach a situation where rich people can hunt poor people for sport.

Daniel Wright said: "Death as a spectacle is not a new phenomenon in social spaces.

"In fact, our past arguably shows the human fascination for death, through various forms, to be more of a social activity.

"Roman gladiatorial games and public executions are well documented examples throughout history."

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He added a future 'captured in fear' scenario could lead to the sci-fi nightmare of humans hunted for sport.

Ecological disasters mean not enough food or land to support the population and megarich tourists hunting the poor to keep the numbers down but as sport too.

Wright, outlining his future vision, added: "During these activities the oppressive mega-rich carry out vacations to purposely slaughter humans, with the 'claimed' aim to reduce population size, but an element of perverse thrill and excitement was said to be fuelling the demand.

"Due to the strain on resources for human survival the practice gradually became more recognisable and acceptable on the part of the wider population who form part of the wealthy-elite.

(Image: Youtube/Hunger Games)

"Now in 2200, it is common practice for such human hunting activities to take place sold as stag, team building events, and has become increasingly popular in the gambling industry.

"The locations in which 'hunting humans' activities take place are seen as modern day tourism entertainment parks."

He said: "This paper offers a future scenario to expose the potential engagement of tourism in the year 2200.

"It argues, that as a result of past and current engagements with murder, death and human atrocities, and significantly our relationship with death, humans will gradually become more accustomed to death as a form of spectacle, influenced by current entertainment, movies and the media."