Abstract Dark tourism has been recognised as a distinctive tourism phenomenon of the twenty-first century, with increasingly significant numbers of visitors and tourists going to dark tourism attractions and sites, new dark tourism products and attractions emerging, and modern global communication media generating interest in dark tourism attractions, while at the same time affecting the image of destinations. The phenomenon of dark tourism has been examined in academia from the mid-1990s; however, it remains one of the less developed areas of tourism and leisure research. Not surprisingly, knowledge of the experiences of visitors and tourists at dark tourism attractions and sites is both theoretically fragile and limited. In redressing this omission in tourism and leisure research, this study examines the effect of enduring involvement and socio-demographic variables on visitor experiences and benefits gained at a contemporary dark tourism site. The focus of the study is the April 3rd Peace Park on Jeju Island, South Korea, a site commemorating and memorialising one of the most destructive episodes in modern Korean history. In doing so, the study developed a theoretical framework for understanding visitor experiences at dark tourism sites, using a benefits-based approach along with the concept of enduring involvement. This approach provides a framework for comprehending visitors’ dark tourism experiences by identifying reasons for visit, on-site experiences, and benefits gained from these experiences. Enduring involvement is applied to investigate the effect of a visitor’s ‘personal connection’ to the tragic event when it comes to their experiences at the site. The April 3rd Peace Park on Jeju Island commemorates a violent political conflict, which began on April 3rd in 1948, and resulted in 30,000 of the inhabitants dead or missing. The park was inaugurated in 2008 for the purposes of education, commemoration, and reconciliation within the Jeju community, in which the family and relatives of both victims and perpetrators still live. The research employs qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore visitor experiences. In its qualitative component, 46 semi-structured interviews were conducted between September and October 2008 in order to identify reasons for visit, the cognitive and affective on-site experiences of visitors and the benefits gained from their visit. This data was utilised in the construction of a site-specific questionnaire. In the quantitative component, self-administered questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were conducted from June 23 to July 31, 2009. A total of 407 valid questionnaires, out of 450 distributed, were utilised to test 16 hypotheses derived from the theoretical framework. The results indicate that a benefits-based approach was effective in exploring visitors’ dark tourism experiences. With this approach, a sense of obligation or personal duty was identified as one of the key reasons for visiting the site. Emotional experiences were also found to be important, and likely to lead to the visitors’ benefits gained. However, results also indicate a benefits-based approach was not effective for segmentation of visitors. In relation to enduring involvement, visitor experiences and benefits gained from experiencing the site and its history were found to differ significantly based on visitors’ level of enduring involvement. High involvement visitors were more likely to recall actual memories of the April 3rd incident, as opposed to acquiring knowledge of it or related issues at the site itself, in stark contrast with low involvement visitors. These differences in visitor experiences and benefits gained were due therefore to visitors’ prior knowledge of and familiarity with the incident. The results of the study also indicate that high involvement visitors are more likely to be elderly, to reside locally, to be connected to the incident, or to have higher levels of education. Low involvement visitors on the other hand are more likely to be young, non-local, and with generally lower levels of education. The study concludes that an effective way of understanding dark tourism experiences from a theoretical perspective is to apply both a benefits-based approach and the concept of enduring involvement.

People are fascinated with death and disaster. One simply has to watch traffic slow to a crawl when passing a car accident to understand this. However, this fascination goes beyond the side of a highway and enters the realm of tourism. Today, numerous sites of death and disaster attract millions of visitors from all around the world: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Anne Frank's House, Graceland, Oklahoma City, Gettysburg, Vimy Ridge, the Somme, Arlington National Cemetery. The list grows each year as exhibited by the recent creation of an apartheid museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to the increasing popularity of this tourism product, a small number of academics have begun studying the phenomenon. Leading the field are Lennon and Foley who labeled it Dark Tourism, Seaton who coined the term Thanatourism, and Rojek who developed the concept of Black Spots. However, despite ongoing study, there has been a paucity in understanding what actually motivates individuals to sites of dark tourism. Yet understanding motivation is imperative, particularly given the subject and sensitivity of these sites. Some are slowly decaying, and visitors play a large role in their preservation. Subsequently, without proper management, visitor influxes can further deteriorate sites or induce friction with the locals. Knowledge then, also provides administrators the necessary tools to properly manage the varying stakeholders. Although many feel an interest in death and disaster simply stems from morbidity, the range of factors involved extend from an interest in history and heritage to education to remembrance. To begin this study, a list of possible motivations was compiled. Then, to get a better comprehension of these motivations, visitors to the Holocaust Museum Houston were surveyed as a case study. As a commodified, synthetic site of death and atrocity, the museum fits the definitions of a dark tourism site as established by lead academics. Therefore, by asking visitors to the museum what motivated them to the site, the results will hopefully give some acumen into the wants and needs of certain stakeholders. Finally, this research sought to discover if motivation at the museum could shed light on motivation to other sites of dark tourism.

I många år har människor jorden runt varit fascinerade av skräck och någonting som gett dem en adrenalinkick eller känsla av sorg. Därför har många spännande sevärdheter uppkommit, som exempelvis London Dungeons och Auschwitz. Detta har blivit en ny trend i turismen och har utvecklats väldigt mycket utomlands; människor vill betala för att se och ta del av elände och misär. Det lockar många olika grupper av åskådare, främst skolgrupper men även enskilda personer som vill veta mer om historian bakom platsen. Detta är även ett stort intresse hos oss (Amera och Elin) och blev därmed ett självklart val när vi bestämde oss för att utföra denna studie. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att belysa förutsättningarna för att utveckla brun turism i Halmstad. Studien ska även ge en mer konkret överblick om den nya växlande trenden dark tourism som är väldigt populär utomlands. Detta vill vi sedan även införliva i Halmstads turismnäring och använda oss av de lokala myterna och legenderna för att lyfta fram stadens historia genom vandringar/guidade turer som vi kommer att framställa

People are fascinated with death and disaster. One simply has to watch traffic slow to a crawl when passing a car accident to understand this. However, this fascination goes beyond the side of a highway and enters the realm of tourism. Today, numerous sites of death and disaster attract millions of visitors from all around the world: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Anne Frank's House, Graceland, Oklahoma City, Gettysburg, Vimy Ridge, the Somme, Arlington National Cemetery. The list grows each year as exhibited by the recent creation of an apartheid museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to the increasing popularity of this tourism product, a small number of academics have begun studying the phenomenon. Leading the field are Lennon and Foley who labeled it Dark Tourism, Seaton who coined the term Thanatourism, and Rojek who developed the concept of Black Spots. However, despite ongoing study, there has been a paucity in understanding what actually motivates individuals to sites of dark tourism. Yet understanding motivation is imperative, particularly given the subject and sensitivity of these sites. Some are slowly decaying, and visitors play a large role in their preservation. Subsequently, without proper management, visitor influxes can further deteriorate sites or induce friction with the locals. Knowledge then, also provides administrators the necessary tools to properly manage the varying stakeholders. Although many feel an interest in death and disaster simply stems from morbidity, the range of factors involved extend from an interest in history and heritage to education to remembrance. To begin this study, a list of possible motivations was compiled. Then, to get a better comprehension of these motivations, visitors to the Holocaust Museum Houston were surveyed as a case study. As a commodified, synthetic site of death and atrocity, the museum fits the definitions of a dark tourism site as established by lead academics. Therefore, by asking visitors to the museum what motivated them to the site, the results will hopefully give some acumen into the wants and needs of certain stakeholders. Finally, this research sought to discover if motivation at the museum could shed light on motivation to other sites of dark tourism.

This thesis examines representations of solitary confinement at four penal history museums in the province of Ontario, Canada: the Olde Gaol Museum in Lindsay, the L’Orignal Old Jail in L’Orignal, the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives in Brampton, and Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston. Engaging with Brown’s (2009) theory of “penal spectatorship” and Cohen’s (2001) work on states of denial, I investigate how these representations of solitary confinement challenge and/or reinforce the idea that segregation is a necessary practice in operational carceral institutions. I identify three dominant themes. The first theme is who ends up in solitary confinement and why. The museums justify the necessity of solitary confinement by emphasizing its usefulness in neutralizing dangerous and unpredictable prisoners, along with its supposed ability to promote prisoner protection and the management of mental health needs. The second theme pertains to the duration prisoners spend in solitary confinement and the conditions they experience. The museums do not problematize prisoners’ length of stay in solitary confinement, nor the conditions of the cells in which they are held, rather historical penal discourses are used to demonstrate improvements over time, without problematizing its present uses. The third theme arising from my analysis concerns the impacts of solitary confinement on prisoners. The museums emphasize the positive effects that solitary confinement can have on prisoners such as providing the opportunity for contemplation, while information on the negative effects of isolation including exacerbating or triggering mental health issues are largely absent. Taking these findings into consideration, I argue that the penal history museums I examined foster social distance between visitors and those in conflict with the law by legitimating the exclusion of the latter, while reinforcing the idea that solitary confinement is a necessary practice in carceral institutions today. .

This study examines solutions to interpretive challenges at dark tourism sites. The academic field of dark tourism explores travel to and the nature of heritage sites that have gained significance from a past of tragedy and suffering. Due to the sensitive nature of such sites there are a number of inherent interpretive challenges. Through research including interviews and site visits, interpretive methods which effectively confront these inherent challenges are identified. Gaining significance from its past as a place of exile for Hansen's disease (leprosy) patients, Kalaupapa National Historical Park remains the home of about 10 patients. Once there are no longer patients living on the peninsula the responsibility to interpret this story falls to land management agencies. Utilizing the methods identified to confront dark tourism challenges, interpretation at Kalaupapa and other dark tourism sites can be systematically approached to ensure an authentic and respectful interpretive program.

Mörk turism är ett växande fenomen som ger turisten möjligheten till mer annorlunda resor, där död, olyckor och det makabra är i fokus. Som dödliga varelser kan man argumentera att det alltid finns ett visst intresse för döden, både sin egen död och andras (Stone 2006). Mörk turism är heller inget nytt fenomen. Stone (2006) konstaterar att man kan dra kopplingar med mörk turism ända till de romerska gladiatorspelen. Ett annat tidigt exempel av mörk turism kan vara offentliga avrättningar under medeltiden. Under åren har fenomenet mörk turism förändrats. Enligt Stone (2006) har mörk turism under det senaste århundradet blivit mer utbrett, Stone (2006) citerar Smith (1998); the largest single category of tourist attraction in the world” när det kommer till platser som har en koppling till mörka och historiska händelser. Det är framför allt platser med koppling till krigsskadade platser.    Denna studie syftar till att skapa en förståelse varför individer besöker mörka platser. Respondenternas resmål har i sin tur kopplat samman med deras nationalitet och motiven bakom resan. Denna studie grundar sig på en kvantitativ studie i form av en elektronisk enkät skapad i programmet Survey&Report. Den insamlade enkätdatan har i sin tur analyserats i SPSS för att få en djupare inblick av resultatet. För att besvara vårt syfte och frågeställningar har vi valt att publicera enkäten i två olika Facebook-grupper Dark Tourism Photography & Dark Tourism and Curious Places och i Redditgruppen dark tourism. Enkäten delades även ut till individer som vi ansåg vara lämpliga för studien.   Det totala antalet respondenter blev 52. Resultatet av denna studie visar på att de flesta av respondenterna besökte mörka platser med motiven ‘Utbildande syfte’ och ‘Att minnas det förflutna. En central fråga i frågeformuläret var även om respondenten såg något etiskt dilemma med att besöka mörka platser. Här var resultatet relativt tudelat där nästan lika många svarade Ja som Nej. / Dark tourism is a growing phenomenon that gives the tourist the opportunity to travels focusing on death, accidents and the macabre are in focus. As mortal beings, one can argue that there is always some interest in death, both our own death and others (Stone 2006). Dark tourism is also not a new phenomenon. Stone (2006) notes dark tourism can be traced back to the Roman gladiator games. Another early example of dark tourism may be public executions during the Middle Ages. Over the years, the phenomenon of dark tourism has changed. According to Stone (2006), dark tourism in the last century has become more widespread, Stone (2006) cites Smith (1998); “the largest single category of tourist attraction in the world”. When it comes to places that have a connection to dark and historical events. It is mainly places with connections to places damaged by war. This study aims to create an understanding why individuals visit dark places. The respondents' destinations, are linked to their nationality and the motives behind the trip. This study is based on a quantitative study in the form of an electronic survey created in the program Survey & Report. The collected survey data has in turn been analysed in SPSS to get a deeper insight into the result. In order to answer our research aim and questions, we have chosen to publish the survey in two different facebook groups Dark Tourism Photography & Dark Tourism and Curious Places and in the Reddit group dark tourism. The survey was also sent out to individuals who we considered being suitable for our research subject 52 respondents participated in the survey. The result of this study shows that most of the respondents visited dark places with the motives ‘Educational purpose’ and ‘To remember the past. A central question in the questionnaire was ‘if the respondent saw some ethical dilemma’ with visiting dark places. Here, the result was relatively divided, where almost as many answered Yes as No.

Dark Tourism är en reseform som länge studerats men som ännu inte har någon enhetlig definition. Begreppet innefattar resor till forna slagfält, mordplatser, kyrkogårdar, platser där kända personer dött, minnesplatser, evenemang och utställningar med reliker och annat återskapande av döden. Då resor till Dark Tourism attraktioner blivit en allt mer populär reseform har vi genom den här studien valt att studera vilka bakomliggande intressen och anledningar som gör att människan väljer att besöka en Dark Tourism attraktion. Underlaget till studien grundar sig på fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som besökt Dark Tourism attraktioner samt två berättelser av våra egna erfarenheter av ett besök vid en attraktion.Studiens resultat visade att det finns olika faktorer som påverkar varför turister reser till en Dark Tourism attraktion. Vi kunde däremot genom studien se att det fanns två faktorer som främst spelade in. Faktorerna var människans vilja och behov av att lära sig nya saker samt viljan och behovet om att få kunskap om sig själv, genom att finna sitt arv.

[pt] Dentre as diversas vertentes do turismo, o Dark Tourism (ou turismo sombrio, macabro, ou tanaturismo) é voltado para a visitação a atrações ligadas a tragédias, como antigos campos de batalha, prisões, campos de concentração e cemitérios. Apesar de ser um tema abrangente, os estudos sobre esta área do conhecimento carecem um maior aprofundamento, pois somente o positivismo não seria suficiente para proporcionar resultados satisfatórios, uma vez que a compreensão do significado por trás deste tipo de exploração pode ser mais bem entendido por meio de investigações de cunho interpretativo. Para cumprir este objetivo, a Consumer Culture Theory pode representar uma alternativa válida, pois engloba temas como a compreensão dos estilos de vida, formação de identidade, valores e significados culturais. Assim sendo, o objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar o significado simbólico por trás do consumo de atrações classificadas no espectro do dark tourism. Para isso, foi feito um estudo interpretativista, com coleta de dados a partir de entrevistas em profundidade. / [en] Among the various strands of tourism, Dark Tourism (or macabre, or thanatourism) is aimed at visiting attractions linked to tragedies, such as old battlefields, prisons, concentration camps, and cemeteries. Despite being a comprehensive theme, studies on this area of knowledge need further studies, as positivism alone would not be sufficient to provide satisfactory results, since understanding the meaning behind this type of exploration can be better comprehended through interpretive investigations. To fulfill this goal, Consumer Culture Theory can represent a valid alternative, as it encompasses topics such as the understanding of lifestyles, identity formation, values and cultural meanings. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to analyze the symbolic meaning behind the consumption of attractions classified in the spectrum of dark tourism. For this, an interpretive study was carried out, with data collection from in-depth interviews.

Alors que le conflit en Syrie continue sa course dévastatrice depuis mars 2011, cette recherche s’inscrit dans une démarche prospective visant à envisager le post-conflit. Après une analyse de la situation touristique et politique de la Syrie, avant et pendant le conflit, notre travail aboutit à une série de constats et de prévisions qui permettent de dessiner le contour d’un tourisme post-conflit dans le pays. Pour compléter notre analyse nous avons eu recours au comparatisme avec les cas de la Bosnie-Herzégovine et de la Croatie. Les deux pays ayant connu des conflits dans les années 1990, cette démarche nous a permis d’y observer le contexte post-conflit avec plus de recul. Les questions du devenir du patrimoine existant et de l’émergence d’un « nouveau patrimoine » issu du conflit font partie des sujets auxquels nous nous sommes intéressés ainsi qu’à l’évolution de l’interprétation de ces différents patrimoines au fil du temps (« à chaud »/ « à froid »). Nous nous sommes intéressés en parallèle aux nouvelles formes de tourisme qui pourraient accompagner le retour de la paix, notamment le "dark tourism", caractéristique du contexte post-conflit. Le résultat prend la forme de scenarii décrivant les différents aboutissements possibles du conflit en cours en Syrie et leurs implications respectives sur le futur du tourisme dans le pays. / While the harrowing conflict in Syria has been enduring since March 2011, this research aims nonetheless to foresee the aftermath of the war through a forward-looking approach. After an analysis of the situation in Syria, before and during the war, from a touristic and political point of view, our work results in a series of observations and forecasts that allow us to draw the outlines of a post-conflict tourism in the country. More specifically and in order to complete our analysis, we used a comparative framework to study the examples of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Croatia. Given that both countries have lived through conflict in the 1990s, this approach enabled us to observe the post-conflict context with a longer lapse of time. The questions related to the future of heritage sites, the emergence of a “new heritage” resulting from the conflict itself, and the changes over time in the interpretation of these different forms of heritage (“hot/cold interpretation”) were among the main issues that we have treated in this dissertation. We also took a major interest in the appearance of new forms of tourism that might accompany the return of peace, especially the “dark tourism”, typical of the post-conflict context. The results are presented in the form of scenarios that describe the different possible outcomes of the current conflict in Syria and their respective implications for the future of tourism in the country.