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Dark tourism: is it right to visit victim sites and disaster zones just because of human curiosity?

Dark tourism: is it right to visit victim sites and disaster zones just because of human curiosity?
Author: Inga Kirspile
4 Commentries
Author: Inga Kirspile

University: University of Wolverhampton

Abstract: This paper will refers to the discussion of dark tourism with instigation of motivations and reasons except of curiosity of tourists who travelling to dark sites. There will be also provided examples of dark tourism sites in order to identify what are the major motivations and reasons of tourists who are visiting these attractions.

Keywords: dark tourism, curiosity, motivation, death

Discussion Paper: Dark tourism: is it right to visit victim sites and disaster zones just because of human curiosity?

Dieke et al. (2011) state dark tourism is becoming a widely known the form of tourism and it has increasing popularity among tourists around the globe in the tourism industry. The term ‘dark tourism’ describes the relationship between tourism attractions and an interest in death and the macabre. Dark tourism it is not a new phenomenon. Travelling to and experiencing places associated with death is an act that has been undertaken by tourists since the eleventh century. There is an acknowledgement that death is inevitable and the dark exhibit or attraction acts a point of reference for this experience. However, before moving to argue about is it right to visit such places only because of curiosity, firstly, should be discussed all motivations and reasons which tourists have for visiting dark tourism sites. Motivations for visits to dark locations or shrines are themselves complex and disparate, resulting in a multitude of reasons for engagement with the macabre. Sharpley and Stone (2009) claim there are predominating motives in the dark tourism motivations which were investigated in the plethora of studies and these include: curiosity, entertainment, empathic identification, compassion, nationalistic motives, pilgrimage, event validation, identity search, education and a sense of social responsibility. This diversity in demand brings different forms of dark tourism and different types of dark tourists. Interpretations of dark sites are influenced not only by tourist motives but also by the image tourists hold of those attractions (Sharpley and Stone, 2009) The other motives and reasons which visitors have for dark tourism are coming in a variety of forms including; a pretext to understanding our own age, romanticism, barbarism, part of national identity, a sign of decadence, a mystical experience, a spiritual experience and the argument that people are naturally attracted to horror. People seek the strange and different in the protection of what is known. This could be one motivation to visit dark sites as the visitor can experience something dangerous within the safety of the tourism environment (Dieke et al., 2011). There is also an acknowledgement the experience is subjective and will vary from one individual to another with their relationship to the dark tourism site. Moreover, there are identified three types of tourist: those wanting to feel connected to history, those wanting to learn, and those with no motives linked to the historic site visited. Therefore, starting from here can be investigated what is predominated tourists type in certain dark tourism attractions as North Korea, Auschwitz, Poland and the disaster site after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, USA. According to Dieke et al. (2011) dark tourism sites should not be in no way used as an effective tool in the political manipulation, disinformation and propaganda. North Korea is a typical example where is fully applied communism politics. The country’s inhabitants live in the poor conditions because of political isolation, sanctions and mismanagement by the communist political dynasty. Additionally, there are high child mortality rates, an aging infrastructure and limited opportunities for the residents. However, the political message of the government is that it is truly the opposite (Dieke et al., 2011). Moreover, the majority of tourists who visit North Korea are driven by the interest to the country’s political system and a lot less who are going due to curiosity and this is definitely a positive fact. Another one of the most commercial examples is Auschwitz. The philosophy of the memorial is to save authenticity, adhere ethics towards the victims and provide an education out of the history. As in the previous example the biggest part of visitors is who coming here to honour the memory of the events and learn from the past. According to Sharpley and Stone (2009) much depends also on how the dark site is positioning itself. If it employs the same respectful strategy as Auschwitz, then there would be mostly attracted appropriate tourists which the site aims to see. In the example of disaster site in New Orleans travel companies were making profit from the loss. There were 30 tours per day, even when there was a ban in order not to hamper clean-up works. Due to such mismanagement and unethical behaviour this attracts tourists who came not to honour victims and fully understand the seriousness of problem but simply to watch. It can be assumed that depending on what strategies a dark tourism site uses there will attracted a certain tourist market for it (Sharpley and Stone, 2009). This is why it is very important to apply acceptability, suitability and ethics of display in order to attract people who would visit dark locations with an acceptable purpose. Nevertheless, there will be always an existence for curiosity because it is inherent in a human. Further, Baran (2012) states “when curiosity driving the consumer's decision to visit is really irrelevant. If you believe that there is inherent good in people, then you operate under the assumption that the purpose of making such a trip is not to gawk but to gain an understanding of the situation." Therefore, it should be remembered that the curiosity is not always acceptable and in the case of dark tourism motivation should be more serious.

Reference list

Baran, M. (2012) Dark tourism. Travel Weekly: The Travel Industry’s Trusted Voice [online]. 20 March 2012 [Accessed 17 April 2014]. Available at:<http://www.travelweekly.com/travel-news/tour-operators/dark-tourism/>.

Dieke, P. U. C., Robinson, P. and Heitmann, S. (ed.) (2011) Research themes for tourism. Wallingford, Oxfordshire; Cambridge, MA: CABI.

Sharpley, M. and Stone, P. R. (ed.) (2009) The darker side of travel: the theory and pactice of dark tourism. Bristol: Channel View.
Commentary on whether tourists have the right to be curious when visiting Dark Tourism Sights
Author: Madeleine Hodges
This paper was chosen because it was a similar topic to my dissertation as well as a subject of interest.
Firstly, the author has pointed out that the term ‘dark tourism’ is not a new phrase, thus it has been used for centuries and is now becoming an industry that can bring in financial and economic benefits for suffering destinations. Additionally, the author writes about the motivations for tourists to visit dark tourist destinations, such as Auschwitz, North Korea and New Orleans that are specifically mentioned within the article. The motivations include curiosity, entertainment, empathic identification and compassion pointed out by Dark Tourism specialists: Sharpley and Stone (2009).
The author has correctly identified that there are numerous reasons for visits, thus bringing in different forms of dark tourism for different types of ‘dark tourists’. One of the types of tourist mentioned includes being naturally attracted to ‘horror’. Although this could be argued, some people are very attracted to murder/horror programmes that could be a reason for wanting to visit some of the sights however; I think that this would be the minority of tourists that do visit. Tourists have been segmented into three specific groups that comprise of those wanting to feel connected to history, those wanting to learn, and those with no motives linked to the historic site visited. Two of these groups have been mentioned numerous times by previous authors however in my opinion; it is rare that a tourist would visit a dark tourism site with no reason for visiting.
The title of the paper is asking whether it is right for tourists to visit dark tourism sights solely for curiosity. Curiosity is natural human behaviour, as confirmed in the reading of this paper. The end of the paper outlines that curiosity is not always acceptable and that the reason for visiting a dark tourism site should be more serious. I tend to disagree, this is due to the fact that people need to understand why certain things have happened, and to learn from this and to teach the younger generation. The limitations of the paper include not outlined that the reasons for having the memorials within the dark tourism destinations, is to prolong the memory (and not just make profit) for those that are not here to tell it for themselves. This is a major reason as to why people go and visit these dark tourism memorials, as learnt from doing research from my dissertation. After speaking to survivors, it is very important that the stories are passed on to the younger generations to not only teach them about discrimination (a main reason for wars and poverty) but also for them to teach the next generation and to keep the stories alive as some of the survivors are not here to tell it anymore. The paper relates to the wider debates of the rights to visit disaster zones and the deeper meanings to the motivations to visit. Further and primary research could be conducted to confirm the reasons debated in this article.
Commentary on whether it is acceptable for individuals to visit dark tourism sites for the reason of curiosity.
Author: Barbara Sowilarska
This paper had been chosen due to its similarity to the subject studied by the author in the study for Professional Project.

Firstly, this article highlights the complexity of the term ‘dark tourism’. As suggested by the author, dark tourism is not a new phenomenon. Different form of travel aiming at visiting places related to death, suffering and disaster date way back in history, highlighting the significant interest in the subject.

Stone and Sharpley (2008) pointed out that the analysis of dark tourism cannot be complete without the consideration of factors motivating visitors to visit places related to dark tourism. The author rightly stated, that there are various motivational factors motivating visitors to participate in this form of tourism. Every tourist is an individual that is motivated by several factors, therefore it is difficult to generalise and to say what are the factors pushing visitors into dark tourism. The author cites Stone and Sharpley (2009) stating that there are many factors which motivate individuals to visit places related to death, suffering and disaster, thus bringing new forms of dark tourism experience.
There are three different types of dark tourism participants mentioned by the author of the article including those who feel connected to the history, willing to learn and those with no particular interest linked to the historic site visited. On the other hand, given the nature of dark tourism, it is difficult to accept the fact that dark tourists are willing to participate in trips to places related to death and disaster for no particular reason. The example of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland supports the thesis that visitors travel to dark tourism site with a specific aim. The research conducted in relation to the subject suggests that dark tourism participant are willing to visit such site despite the weather conditions or the time of year, highlighting strong motivational factors driving individuals to visit these places.

The article highlighted different motivational factors in relation to visits to New Orleans, Auschwitz-Birkenau or North Korea. The author mentioned Auschwitz-Birkenau as ‘’most commercial example of dark tourism’’. However, given the authenticity of the site itself as well as the form of visitation, Auschwitz- Birkenau cannot be considered as a commercialised dark tourism site. As an example, London Dungeons became a tourist attraction rather than a place to commemorate the fallen, those who suffered at the time of the site’s existence. The tourists visiting the London Dungeons perceive the site as an amusement site created for commercial purpose rather than remembrance or understanding of the history.

The article focuses on the issue on whether it is acceptable for individuals to visit dark tourism sites for the reason of curiosity. Curiosity is a broad term that can be interpreted in many ways. Given the nature of this article, it can be assumed that the author thought about curiosity as a negative motivator. However, being curious isn't necessarily a bad thing. It allows people to consider their actions and in this case, understand the purpose of their existence. If not for the purpose of curiosity and an interest in the subject, dark tourism would not exist. The demand led to an increase in the supply of dark tourism excursion which often cause controversy. The ethical aspect of dark tourism is a broad topic that should be further discussed in relation to the subject of dark tourism.
The author of the article stated that dark tourism is acceptable when the main purpose of the visit falls within the criteria of ‘acceptable purpose’. However, the question is what is the acceptable purpose of visit and who decides what is appropriate and what is not?




References:
Stone, P., Sharpley, R. (2008) Consuming Dark Tourism: A Thanalogical Perspective. Annals of Tourism Research, 35(2) pp. 574-588.

Sharpley, M. and Stone, P. R. (ed.) (2009) The darker side of travel: the theory and pactice of dark tourism. Bristol: Channel View.
Should Dark Tourism sites be visited and is it right?
Author: Amy Davies
I have chosen to look at this topic as it is something of interest to me and I chose the topic of Dark Tourism for my dissertation.

The author asks is it right for us to visit Dark Tourism sites and I believe that the answer is yes. I agree with the author that yes Dark Tourism has been around for many years and it is not a new type of tourism, but not many people have heard the term Dark Tourism, which I discovered when doing my dissertation research.

The author has mentioned how people visit the tourism sites for different reasons this links with my dissertation title of discovering the morbid fascination with Dark Tourism and what attracted people to the sites, and the author has split the tourists into three different category’s, Tourists have been segmented into three specific groups that comprise of those wanting to feel connected to history, those wanting to learn, and those with no motives linked to the historic site visited. I do not fully agree with the third category that people have no motives linked to the historic site that they were visiting.

When doing my research I asked people where they had heard about the site and their motivations for visiting, the participants mainly told me that they were visiting for personal reasons, whether it was for family being in the 9/11 attacks or if they had a great grandparent that had served in the war, people always had a reason to visit the site that they were visiting, participants mainly stated that they felt emotional and enjoyed the visit, it was a chance for them to learn some more history and for some it was a sense of closure.

Dark Tourism sites are made such as Ground Zero to remember the innocent people and what was lost on that tragic day and I believe that yes it is right to visit these places, to see the site where all these innocent people were killed and remember them, it’s not about attracting tourists and making money it is about respect.

I am not disputing that some tourist will visit purely out of human curiosity and to learn something new, which on holiday if you visit a tourist destination it’s to experience new sites, but I feel that the majority of people who visit Dark Tourism sites have either done research prior to visiting or have personal reasons for visiting.

With further research into people who have visited the Dark Tourism sites an d what their motivations and their feelings I think the author could make a more defined answer to the question of is it right to visit these sites, which I believe they would find is a yes.
Curiosity or Respect? A commentary on whether tourists have the right to be curious when visiting Dark Tourism Sites
Author: Kirsty Calver
I decided to comment on this conference paper as it is a topic I am deeply passionate about and have a keen interest in since we first learnt about the topic in our second year at university.

The paper begins with a statement, that the topic of dark tourism is only now becoming recognised as a form of tourism, especially within the past decade even. The author poses questions which could have been answered such as: why it was such a taboo subject before and why are we now acknowledging that dark tourism exists. Marcel (2004) sums up dark tourism perfectly stating that it’s ‘the dirty little secret of the tourism industry’.

The author then goes onto mention the motivations of visiting a dark tourism site as being complex and states that the predominating motives include: curiosity, entertainment, empathic identification, nationalistic motives, pilgrimage, event validation, identity search, education and a sense of social responsibility all sourced from the fore runners of literature on the topic Sharpley and Stone.

After tragedy and disaster strikes the sites where they occurred become more of a shrine to those who lost their lives, but now days commodification has taken place and has become more a ‘tourist attraction’ including the option to purchase souvenirs such as the site where Kennedy was assassinated along with holocaust museums. This is also a clear example of where paying your respects has then led to curiosity.

Another motivation from Biran et al. (2011) is the ‘see it to believe it’ phenomenon, of which the media has played a very important role in. In 2001 we all saw the events that unfolded on 9/11 and watched the news, seeing what was happening live on television and it was truly unbelievable. It is this type of tragedy that motivates tourists to see these sites for themselves, to help gain and understanding of what happened.

Through researching other motivations that are associated with dark tourism are:

• Heritage
• Detached Interest
• Reflection of mortality

In the summary the author states that tourists can be separated into three different categories: those wanting to feel connected to history, those wanting to learn and those with no motives linked to the historic site. As to what the author states about having no motives when visiting a site, I completely disagree with this statement as why would you go somewhere if you didn’t have an interest or understanding of it and its history.

This paper asks the question is it right to visit victim sites and disaster zones just because of human curiosity. Though within the paper curiosity isn’t really looked into deep enough and is more concentrated on other motivations until the end of the paper more where it states that curiosity is human nature and that it’s not always acceptable to visit a site. My view is that how without visiting the sites where death and disaster have struck would you be able to learn from your experience and pass onto others, which in turn would pass on the memory of the tragedy and help to teach the younger generation.

Overall this paper provides a detailed understanding of the motives behind visiting dark tourism sites and this could then lead onto further research into the topic to gain a deeper understanding of the motives including curiosity.

References:

Biran, A. Poria, Y. & Oren, G. (2011) ‘Sought experiences at (Dark) heritage sites’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 38 (3), 820–841.

Marcel J. (2004) Death Makes a Holiday. The American Reporter, January 21, Vo.l 10 (2273) Available from: www. amercian- reporter.com/2,273/1166.hml (Accessed on 9th May, 2014)