Introduction. Dark tourism is defined as the act of tourists traveling to sites of death, tragedy, and suffering (Foley and Lennon, 1996).
Where do dark tourists go?
Popular dark tourism attractions include Auschwitz, Chernobyl and Ground Zero. Lesser known dark tourism attractions might include cemeteries, zombie-themed events or historical museums.
Why do people visit dark tourism places?
Most people visit dark places wanting to pay their respects. As history shows, people have done it in the past for entertainment. There are probably many today who do it for the thrills (war zones might come to mind). While we might question others’ motivations, it’s important to understand why we do it ourselves.
What does dark tourism include?
Dark tourism refers to travel that involves visiting places associated with death, suffering, grief or disaster.
Is dark tourism disrespectful?
The most common criticism of dark tourism is that it exploits human suffering. Operators can exploit these sites to make money or simply to provide entertainment. This disrespects the victims of the event. This type of behavior may be unethical.
Who is interested in dark tourism?
Travelers interested in dark tourism experiences come from various age groups, including seniors as well as young students. Some of them are attracted by cultural and historical aspects of the places, others seek more nature-bound information.
Is Auschwitz dark tourism?
In fact, Auschwitz has been called the very “epitome of all dark tourism” and it’s hard to argue with that – for various reasons … for sheer numbers of visitors alone, for instance. Well over two million people visit the site annually these days, and they reckon ca.
Is dark tourism growing?
Actual bookings have increased by more than 1,200% since 2016. Official figures show visitor numbers to the exclusion zone have boomed in recent years, with almost 50,000 people making the trip in 2017, 70% of whom were foreigners. That’s an increase of 350% since 2012.
What is trauma tourism?
Trauma tourism is a firmly established practice in Europe. Each year, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the sites of former concentration camps in both Germany and Poland. … In Krakow, Poland, the former Jewish ghetto of Kazimierz operates as a kind of “theme park” for the disappeared.
Is dark tourism real?
Dark tourism has been around for years. … Put simply, dark tourism is travel to places connected to death or disaster. Though many people engage with it – anyone who has visited, for example, sites or museums of war, might be considered a dark tourist – it remains a contentious topic.
What kind of tourism is Voluntourism?
Voluntourism is a form of tourism in which travelers participate in voluntary work, typically for a charity. Voluntourists range in age and come from all over the world. The work they do can be related to agriculture, health care, education and many other areas.
Is dark tourism moral?
While the tourist motivations to visit sites of a sensitive nature may be diverse, dark tourism remains a morally relevant issue that involves a questioning of moral judgment (Rojek,1997. (1997).