The Dark Tourist: An Insight into the Appeal of Dark Tourism (original) (raw)
Related papers
Motivation Factors in Dark Tourism
Dark tourism is a multi-layered mixture of history and heritage, tourism and tragedies. Humanity has been interested in the end of life since the time of pilgrimages. In contemporary society the individual has been isolated from the end of life and even discussing it is considered taboo. Why do people travel to dark attractions associated with death and suffering if even talking about them is so hard?
Consuming Dark Tourism: a call for research
eReview of Tourism Research, 2005
There is an increasing plethora of sites associated with death, tragedy or the macabre that have become significant tourist 'attractions'. As a result, the term 'dark tourism' has entered academic discourse. However, dark tourism literature is both eclectic and theoretically fragile. This is especially the case with regards to consumption and its implications for understanding the 'dark tourist'. Thus it is suggested that the dimensions of dark tourism consumption have not been extracted or interrogated-only assumed. Consequently, with death and the nature of dying at the crux of the dark tourism concept, this article calls for the development of consumer behaviour models, which incorporate contemporary socio-cultural aspects of death and dying. It is suggested that this in turn will lead to a better understanding of consumer motives within the dark tourism domain.
Dark tourism consumption - a call for research
E Review of Tourism Research, 2005
There is an increasing plethora of sites associated with death, tragedy or the macabre that have become significant tourist 'attractions'. As a result, the term 'dark tourism' has entered academic discourse. However, dark tourism literature is both eclectic and theoretically fragile. This is especially the case with regards to consumption and its implications for understanding the 'dark tourist'. Thus it is suggested that the dimensions of dark tourism consumption have not been extracted or interrogated-only assumed. Consequently, with death and the nature of dying at the crux of the dark tourism concept, this article calls for the development of consumer behaviour models, which incorporate contemporary socio-cultural aspects of death and dying. It is suggested that this in turn will lead to a better understanding of consumer motives within the dark tourism domain.
Analysis of the Demand of Dark Tourism: A Case Study in Córdoba (Spain)
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2019
Visiting places where death is present, either due to a natural tragedy, war, the Holocaust, etc., or because there is the presence of a non-visible entity or paranormal phenomenon, is increasingly more accepted in modern times. It has become a kind of tourism that has grown in demand, though it remains a minority. The city of Cordoba, in the south of Spain, is swarming with houses and places where legends have endured over centuries as a consequence of the coexistence of three cultures – Jewish, Christian and Arab. In turn, popular culture considers these places as having a characteristic “charm” due to the phenomena that happen there. This work analyses the profile of dark tourism tourists, particularly in two sub-segments - that of ghosts and of cemeteries - as well as the existing offer. The aim is to design and improve a quality tourist product that is adapted to the requirements of the demand.
Dark Tourism: Understanding the Concept and Recognizing the Values
Journal of APF Command and Staff College
Dark tourism is a youngest subset of tourism, introduced only in 1990s. It is a multifaceted and diverse phenomenon. Dark tourism studies carried out in the Western countries succinctly portrays dark tourism as a study of history and heritage, tourism and tragedies. Dark tourism has been identified as niche or special interest tourism. This paper highlights how dark tourism has been theoretically conceptualized in previous studies. As an umbrella concept dark tourism includes than tourism, blackspot tourism, morbid tourism, disaster tourism, conflict tourism, dissonant heritage tourism and others. This paper examines how dark tourism as a distinct form of tourism came into existence in the tourism academia and how it could be understood as a separate subset of tourism in better way. Basically, this study focuses on deathscapes, repressed sadism, commercialization of grief, commoditization of death, dartainment, blackpackers, darsumers and deathseekers capitalism. This study generate...
Tourists’ Motivations for Visiting Dark Tourism Sites. Case of Romania
Analele Universităţii din Oradea, 2021
Nowadays, tourism plays an essential role in economic growth and development in many countries. Tourists have different travelling motivations and behavioural manifestations, helping tour operators decide suitable for them. Developing a dark tourism niche concept is a necessary step for correct use of it in theory and practice. Dark tourism is an important concept studied in the past twenty years in worldwide literature. This empirical paper aimed to determine the tourists' motivations for travelling to Romania's dark tourism destinations and establishing them. A quantitative research method was applied based on a survey using a non-probabilistic technique based on convenience sampling. Secondary, it was studied the relationship between motivational determinants and tourists' attitude-behaviour in visiting dark tourism sites (Theory of Planned Behaviour, TPB). The survey conducted online was primarily made of 40 items evaluated on the Likert scale. It has been used a sample based on 475 Romanian respondents: 72.3% who had already visited a dark tourism destination in Romania, and 27.8% who stated they planned to visit one. The theoretical framework has analysed five constructs as motivational determinants in the relationships with behavioural construct attitude (TPB). The results show support for two of five research hypotheses (H1 and H4). Dark experience (H1) and Unique learning experience (H4) have a significant and positive effect on Attitude. We did not find any significant effect of Engaging entertainment, Casual interest, and Emotional recreation on Attitude. Hence, H2, H3 and H5 are not supported. Based on these results, the government can develop tourism economic and marketing policy to develop dark tourism as important post-communist niche tourism. The practitioners can develop and promote tourism packages and products by applying the correct use of dark tourism sense. The present scientific paper's originality is given by the lack of literature review studies based on empirical research on this topic. Limits of the research and future research directions are also pointed out in the conclusion part.
Tourism: An Interdisciplinary International Journal, 2006
Deaths, disasters and atrocities in touristic form are becoming an increasingly pervasive feature within the contemporary tourism landscape, and as such, are ever more providing potential spiritual journeys for the tourist who wishes to gaze upon real and recreated death. As a result, the rather emotive label of 'dark tourism' has entered academic discourse and media parlance, and consequently has generated a significant amount of research interest. However, despite this increasing attention the dark tourism literature remains both eclectic and theoretically fragile. That is, a number of fundamental issues remain, not least whether it is actually possible or justifiable to collectively categorise a diverse range of sites, attractions and exhibitions that are associated with death and the macabre as 'dark tourism', or whether identifiable degrees or 'shades' of darkness can be attributed to a particular type of dark tourism supplier. This paper argues that certain suppliers may indeed, conceptually at least, share particular product features, perceptions and characteristics, which can then be loosely translated into various 'shades of darkness'. As a result, dark tourism products may lie along a rather 'fluid and dynamic spectrum of intensity', whereby particular sites may be conceivably 'darker' than others, dependant upon various defining characteristics, perceptions and product traits. It is proposed that construction of a firm and comprehensive typological foundation will lead not only to a better understanding of dark tourism supply, but also, and perhaps more importantly, lead to a better understanding of where to locate and explore consumer demand, motivations and experiences.
Consumption, motivation and experience in dark tourism: a conceptual and critical analysis
Tourism Geographies, 2021
A review of recent relevant literature related to dark tourism indicates that there is a growing academic interest in ‘dark tourism consumption’, ‘dark tourism motivation’ and ‘dark tourism experience’. Therefore, the objectives of the present research are threefold: to examine the progress of research on these three concepts; to give a critical analysis of recent research; and to identify research gaps and questions that require fuller examination. In order to adopt new research orientations, the use of a broader post-disciplinary research framework is in need. The findings reveal that the three concepts are evolving and advancing, and new researches push the boundaries of exploration into new directions. From the analysis of recent literature, it can be concluded that thanatopsis is a rare characteristic of tourist visits. This is in contrast to the early conceptual studies, which claim that death is the primary motive for visiting dark sites. The findings reveal that many visitors are motivated by the desire and an interest in cultural heritage, learning, education, understanding about what happened at the dark site etc. It is important to emphasise that these motivations are affected by internal conflicts that the experience generates. Tourist experience is more in line with that of a mainstream heritage sites. In general, if tourists do not experience a site as dark, then they cannot be called dark tourists. Hence, the present research appeals to a clearer distinction of the ‘dark tourists’ based on experience. Except for the ‘mortality mediation model’, ‘dystopian dark tourism’ and ‘Terror Management Theory’, there are limit efforts to understand tourists at dark sites. Therefore, scientists must propose new approaches and additional empirical researches to prove that interest in death is a key motive for visiting dark sites. Lastly, from the literature review, new directions for further research have emerged.
Enlightening Tourism: A Pathmaking Journal, 2022
The purpose of this research is to explore the concept of dark tourism, focusing on the conceptual approach of dark tourism, the different terms stated for its nature, the review of its historical background as well as its main categories. Emphasis is placed on the identification of the tourists' general beliefs regarding the concept of dark tourism, their emotions related to visits to specific dark tourism monuments and the internal motives that serve as driving forces for visits to dark tourism spots of interest. The study investigates whether the contemporary representation of dark tourism monuments in Greece accurately reflects the historical background and the horrific events that took place in the past. The research aims to investigate whether there is a statistically significant correlation between the variables of dissonance in the representation of the sites, the motives and emotions of the tourists, and whether there is a statistical difference in the dissonance, emotions and motives based on the demographic results. The type of the research implemented is the primary quantitative research and the outcomes reveal that the overall picture of emotions is at an average level, with dark tourism eliciting both positive and negative emotions from the tourism audience.
Gazing at Death: dark tourism as an emergent horizon of Research. (Korstanje M. & Handayani, B). New York, Nova Science Publishers. This is a must-read book which starts a new discussion not only on dark tourism issues but on the role of death in modern society. A much deep-seated issue that merits to be investigated in the years to come (Abraham Abe Pizam, University of Central Florida, US) Dr. Maximiliano Korstanje is one of the great minds of our young century. You may agree or disagree with his conclusions but this book, like much of his work makes the careful reader ponder his points and consider his positions. Korstankje is more than a thinker, he is the best type of academic, one who makes us question even the simplest of assumptions. Encountering his ideas is more than a mere journey into another academic work, but a chance to come face to face with multiple questions and academic challenges. (Peter Tarlow - Texas A&M University, US) Gazing Death draws together the latest research in the field by presenting new and important insights in a well-crafted meticulously researched book. The chapters in this volume employ a multidisciplinary perspective to address the social, political, ethical, philosophical and cultural perspectives of dark tourism. It is an indispensable guide that will satisfy the novice and more experienced dark tourism scholar seeking to understand the tourism of macabre spectacles, places of disaster and sites on the darker side of life. (Demond S. Miller, Rowan University, US) “The topic of dark tourism is growing in attention globally. Dr. Korstanje has dedicated this book to understanding the phenomena of travel surrounding death, disasters and terror. This book provides a one-stop shop for understanding a number of key areas of research within dark tourism: the motivations and behaviors surrounding dark travel, smart tourism for dark sites, as well as the economic impact of dark tourism. This book fills a gap in the literature which can be used by students, academics and practitioners alike.” - Professor Dr. Lori Pennington-Gray, University of Florida, USA Gazing at Death is a must-read book, which allows a restructuration in the ways global tourism should be thought. This represents a fertile invitation to build a new theoretical framework of tourism in this new millenium. - Associate Professor Celeste Nava - University of Guanajuato, Mexico