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• Disaster Arts & Humanities 100%
• Tourism Arts & Humanities 99%
• Attraction Arts & Humanities 98%
• Residents Arts & Humanities 91%
• Inhumanity Arts & Humanities 73%
• Heritage Sites Arts & Humanities 69%
• Berlin Wall Arts & Humanities 64%
• Concentration Camps Arts & Humanities 60%

T1 - Dark Tourism: The Attraction of Death and Disaster

AU - Lennon, J. John

AU - Foley, Malcolm

PY - 2001/3

Y1 - 2001/3

N2 - This book sets out to explore ‘dark tourism’; that is, the representation of inhuman acts, and how these are interpreted for visitors at a number of places throughout the world, for example the sites of concentration camps in both Western and Eastern Europe. Many people wish to experience the reality behind the media images, or are prompted to find out more by a personal association with places or events. The phenomenon raises ethical issues over the status and nature of objects, the extent of their interpretation, the appropriate political and managerial response and the nature of the experience as perceived by the visitor, their residents and local residents. Events, sites, types of visit and ‘host’ reactions are considered in order to construct the parameters of the concept of ‘dark tourism’. Many acts of inhumanity are celebrated as heritage sites in Britain (for example, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle), and the Berlin Wall has become a significant attraction despite claiming many victims.

AB - This book sets out to explore ‘dark tourism’; that is, the representation of inhuman acts, and how these are interpreted for visitors at a number of places throughout the world, for example the sites of concentration camps in both Western and Eastern Europe. Many people wish to experience the reality behind the media images, or are prompted to find out more by a personal association with places or events. The phenomenon raises ethical issues over the status and nature of objects, the extent of their interpretation, the appropriate political and managerial response and the nature of the experience as perceived by the visitor, their residents and local residents. Events, sites, types of visit and ‘host’ reactions are considered in order to construct the parameters of the concept of ‘dark tourism’. Many acts of inhumanity are celebrated as heritage sites in Britain (for example, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle), and the Berlin Wall has become a significant attraction despite claiming many victims.

KW - dark tourism

KW - heritage sites

KW - concentration camps

KW - visitor experiences

SN - 9780826450647

BT - Dark Tourism: The Attraction of Death and Disaster

PB - Cengage

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Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre

Travelers who use their off time to visit places like the Chernobyl nuclear plant or current conflict zones say they no longer want a sanitized version of a troubled world.

By Maria Cramer

North Korea. East Timor. Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave that for decades has been a tinderbox for ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

They’re not your typical top tourist destinations.

But don’t tell that to Erik Faarlund, the editor of a photography website from Norway, who has visited all three. His next “dream” trip is to tour San Fernando in the Philippines around Easter , when people volunteer to be nailed to a cross to commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ, a practice discouraged by the Catholic Church.

Mr. Faarlund, whose wife prefers sunning on Mediterranean beaches, said he often travels alone.

“She wonders why on earth I want to go to these places, and I wonder why on earth she goes to the places she goes to,” he said.

Mr. Faarlund, 52, has visited places that fall under a category of travel known as dark tourism , an all-encompassing term that boils down to visiting places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

As travel opens up, most people are using their vacation time for the typical goals: to escape reality, relax and recharge. Not so dark tourists, who use their vacation time to plunge deeper into the bleak, even violent corners of the world.

They say going to abandoned nuclear plants or countries where genocides took place is a way to understand the harsh realities of current political turmoil, climate calamities, war and the growing threat of authoritarianism.

“When the whole world is on fire and flooded and no one can afford their energy bills, lying on a beach at a five-star resort feels embarrassing,” said Jodie Joyce, who handles contracts for a genome sequencing company in England and has visited Chernobyl and North Korea .

Mr. Faarlund, who does not see his travels as dark tourism, said he wants to visit places “that function totally differently from the way things are run at home.”

Whatever their motivations, Mr. Faarlund and Ms. Joyce are hardly alone.

Eighty-two percent of American travelers said they have visited at least one dark tourism destination in their lifetime, according to a study published in September by Passport-photo.online, which surveyed more than 900 people. More than half of those surveyed said they preferred visiting “active” or former war zones. About 30 percent said that once the war in Ukraine ends, they wanted to visit the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian soldiers resisted Russian forces for months .

The growing popularity of dark tourism suggests more and more people are resisting vacations that promise escapism, choosing instead to witness firsthand the sites of suffering they have only read about, said Gareth Johnson, a founder of Young Pioneer Tours , which organized trips for Ms. Joyce and Mr. Faarlund.

Tourists, he said, are tired of “getting a sanitized version of the world.”

A pastime that goes back to Gladiator Days

The term “dark tourism” was coined in 1996, by two academics from Scotland, J. John Lennon and Malcolm Foley, who wrote “Dark Tourism: The Attraction to Death and Disaster.”

But people have used their leisure time to witness horror for hundreds of years, said Craig Wight, associate professor of tourism management at Edinburgh Napier University.

“It goes back to the gladiator battles” of ancient Rome, he said. “People coming to watch public hangings. You had tourists sitting comfortably in carriages watching the Battle of Waterloo.”

Professor Wight said the modern dark tourist usually goes to a site defined by tragedy to make a connection to the place, a feeling that is difficult to achieve by just reading about it.

By that definition, anyone can be a dark tourist. A tourist who takes a weekend trip to New York City may visit Ground Zero. Visitors to Boston may drive north to Salem to learn more about the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the 17th century. Travelers to Germany or Poland might visit a concentration camp. They might have any number of motivations, from honoring victims of genocide to getting a better understanding of history. But in general, a dark tourist is someone who makes a habit of seeking out places that are either tragic, morbid or even dangerous, whether the destinations are local or as far away as Chernobyl.

In recent years, as tour operators have sprung up worldwide promising deep dives into places known for recent tragedy, media attention has followed and so have questions about the intentions of visitors, said Dorina-Maria Buda, a professor of tourism studies at Nottingham Trent University .

Stories of people gawking at neighborhoods in New Orleans destroyed by Hurricane Katrina or posing for selfies at Dachau led to disgust and outrage .

Were people driven to visit these sites out of a “sense of voyeurism or is it a sense of sharing in the pain and showing support?” Professor Buda said.

Most dark tourists are not voyeurs who pose for photos at Auschwitz, said Sian Staudinger, who runs the Austria-based Dark Tourist Trips , which organizes itineraries in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe and instructs travelers to follow rules like “NO SELFIES!”

“Dark tourists in general ask meaningful questions,” Ms. Staudinger said. “They don’t talk too loud. They don’t laugh. They’re not taking photos at a concentration camp.”

‘Ethically murky territory’

David Farrier , a journalist from New Zealand, spent a year documenting travels to places like Aokigahara , the so-called suicide forest in Japan, the luxury prison Pablo Escobar built for himself in Colombia and McKamey Manor in Tennessee, a notorious haunted house tour where people sign up to be buried alive, submerged in cold water until they feel like they will drown and beaten.

The journey was turned into a show, “Dark Tourist,” that streamed on Netflix in 2018 and was derided by some critics as ghoulish and “sordid.”

Mr. Farrier, 39, said he often questioned the moral implications of his trips.

“It’s very ethically murky territory,” Mr. Farrier said.

But it felt worthwhile to “roll the cameras” on places and rituals that most people want to know about but will never experience, he said.

Visiting places where terrible events unfolded was humbling and helped him confront his fear of death.

He said he felt privileged to have visited most of the places he saw, except McKamey Manor.

“That was deranged,” Mr. Farrier said.

Professor Buda said dark tourists she has interviewed have described feelings of shock and fear at seeing armed soldiers on streets of countries where there is ongoing conflict or that are run by dictatorships.

“When you’re part of a society that is by and large stable and you’ve gotten into an established routine, travel to these places leads you to sort of feel alive,” she said.

But that travel can present real danger.

In 2015, Otto Warmbier , a 21-year-old student from Ohio who traveled with Young Pioneer Tours, was arrested in North Korea after he was accused of stealing a poster off a hotel wall. He was detained for 17 months and was comatose when he was released. He died in 2017, six days after he was brought back to the United States.

The North Korean government said Mr. Warmbier died of botulism but his family said his brain was damaged after he was tortured.

Americans can no longer travel to North Korea unless their passports are validated by the State Department.

A chance to reflect

Even ghost tours — the lighter side of dark tourism — can present dilemmas for tour operators, said Andrea Janes, the owner and founder of Boroughs of the Dead: Macabre New York City Walking Tours.

In 2021, she and her staff questioned whether to restart tours so soon after the pandemic in a city where refrigerated trucks serving as makeshift morgues sat in a marine terminal for months.

They reopened and were surprised when tours booked up fast. People were particularly eager to hear the ghost stories of Roosevelt Island, the site of a shuttered 19th-century hospital where smallpox patients were treated .

“We should have seen as historians that people would want to talk about death in a time of plague,” Ms. Janes said.

Kathy Biehl, who lives in Jefferson Township, N.J., and has gone on a dozen ghost tours with Ms. Janes’s company, recalled taking the tour “Ghosts of the Titanic” along the Hudson River. It was around 2017, when headlines were dominated by President Trump’s tough stance on refugees and immigrants coming into the United States.

Those stories seemed to dovetail with the 100-year-old tales of immigrants trying to make it to New York on a doomed ship, Ms. Biehl said.

It led to “a catharsis” for many on the tour, she said. “People were on the verge of tears over immigration.”

Part of the appeal of dark tourism is its ability to help people process what is happening “as the world gets darker and gloomier,” said Jeffrey S. Podoshen , a professor of marketing at Franklin and Marshall College, who specializes in dark tourism.

“People are trying to understand dark things, trying to understand things like the realities of death, dying and violence,” he said. “They look at this type of tourism as a way to prepare themselves.”

Mr. Faarlund, the photo editor, recalled one trip with his wife and twin sons: a private tour of Cambodia that included a visit to the Killing Fields , where between 1975 and 1979 more than 2 million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation and disease under the Khmer Rouge regime.

His boys, then 14, listened intently to unsparing and brutal stories of the torture center run by the Khmer Rouge. At one point, the boys had to go outside, where they sat quietly for a long time.

“They needed a break,” Mr. Faarlund said. “It was quite mature of them.”

Afterward, they met two of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge, fragile men in their 80s and 90s. The teenagers asked if they could hug them and the men obliged, Mr. Faarlund said.

It was a moving trip that also included visits to temples, among them Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and meals of frog, oysters and squid at a roadside restaurant.

“They loved it,” Mr. Faarlund said of his family.

Still, he can’t see them coming with him to see people re-enact the crucifixion in the Philippines.

“I don’t think they want to go with me on that one,” Mr. Faarlund said.

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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Dark tourism: the attraction of death and disaster.

Related Papers

Tourism Geographies

Dejan Iliev

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.

Maximiliano E. Korstanje

The current bloody conflict between Israelis and Palestine in Middle East has widely approached by social scientists and humanists as a moral campaign to impose the human dignity. Although in some respect, literature would play a leading role in narrowing both sides, the fact is that in digital times Holocaust is far from being a closed issue. As a platform towards victimization or political oppression, Holocaust still remains in the heart of West as well as the negative effects of depersonalizing subject identities. The nature of any genocide is associated to the power of Gods to select who lives or not, in the same way, Noah abode the decision of God to destroy a world which unfits with his desires. This chapter explores not only the ebbs and flows of Holocaust as a site of tourism and mediatized consumption, but as an allegory which reinforces the exclusionary logic of capitalism.

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Hosam Refai , Shaimaa Nagib

This study focuses on how to apply the dark tourism in Baron Empain palace uniquely and distinctively, especially with the availability of all elements that are necessary for this kind of tourism inside the palace: A rare design, huge space, unique history related to Heliopolis and many rumors and dark stories around the Baron and his family. The aim is to attract attention, to revive buildings of historical and archaeological value that have been neglected for a reason or another. The study involves comparison and analysis of the cases that apply dark tourism worldwide and a survey of the tools used to market their sites. Dark tourism has become an important part of the tourism map worldwide. It is a unique experience since it combines tangible and intangible influences such as mysterious stories and rumors. Keywords: Dark tourism, Niche tourism, Horror tourism, Virtual reality, Memorial, Rumors, Baron Palace, Edward Empain, Heliopolis, and Adaptive reuse.

Andjela Popovic

Journal of Conflict Archaeology 7(2), 71-105

Professor Caroline Sturdy Colls

Dr. Teresa "Lilly" White

This paper critically examines the burgeoning discourse of 'dark tourism' as it pertains to re-enforcing a national, collective identity. Much of the research on the topic explores atrocities as shared national and cultural experiences, social and governmental influences on constructing common narratives, and a bigger debate on the motivation of visitors, often survivors, to the dark site. Notoriety from tragic events often transfers to the city where it occurred, frequently to the dismay of the community and its residents. Local governments can assume critical roles in the commodification, re-interpretation, public safety, management and stewardship of the dark tourism site; whereby, transforming tragedy into triumph. Who got it right, and who got it wrong?

Drazen Zivic , Nataša Drvenkar

The purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning of dark and memorial tourism better, as well as to create basic preconditions for relatively new concept of tourism in Croatia, as dark and memorial tourism is well defined subject internationally. Design – The theoretical background of the topic is been presented, and further institutional support for the development of memorial tourism. The special focus is given to analysis of the factors that influence the implementation of memorial tourism in area of regional economic development strategy according to the principles of triple helix but also quintuple helix cooperation – this type of tourism rely on support from the institutions, official tourism associations and local communities. Methodology/approach – Recent scientific literature analyzed in the paper (memorial tourism, dark tourism, thanatourism, phoenix tourism) present new advances and research results in the field of memorial tourism as theoretical reflection of good (best) international practice. It determines the views of the authors referring to the new trends of modern tourism consumers. Vukovar-Srijem County as a space of political and cultural importance allows, through its touristic production and consumption, for a ritual space that exists outside of time (“heritage that hurts”, “life-changing points of shock”, Stone, 2014). After identifying and analysing both the existing resources of the region and institutional requirements for potential development of memorial tourism a management proposal will be made for the development of a new concept of tourism in Croatia. Findings – According to the data of the Ministry of War Veterans of the Republic of Croatia (2013), up to May 18, 2011, 143 mass graves have been found in the Republic of Croatia, most of them in Vukovar-Srijem County. Inadequate cooperation between the tourism stakeholders and university sector, at regional i.e. national level and veterans’ associations as the main drivers of development of memorial centres resulted in inadequately developed tourism product. Originality of the research – In the paper marketing is used as a mechanism to achieve strategic objectives of destination regions and thus, should be guided by the policies for regional development. The triple helix and quintuple helix innovation paradigm is based on the integration of commercialization, empirical knowledge, public good and civil society. To facilitate the development of memorial tourism, it is recommended to strengthen the cooperation with scientific institutions both in regional and national level in order to establish the facts and prevent further dissemination of occasionally false information about war time events and as a return measure suggest an acceptable marketing mix of memorial tourism product. Furthermore, tourism businesses, especially tourist agencies, have to become involved in receptive tourist programmes as soon as possible. Namely, the majority of tourist agencies are oriented towards emissive business operations. It is evident, though, that nothing can be done without a source of financing and coordination that can be provided by regional administration.

Dr Matthew Jackson

This course examines how memory has been constructed, used and reshaped in myriad ways and for a multitude of reasons amid a half century of cataclysmic cultural and political upheaval in the United States, beginning with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and ending with the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City in September 2001.

Olga Procevska

An essential part of the political strategy of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was the extermination of social groups that he regarded as the enemies of the people: owners of the capital and land, counterrevolutionaries, and opponents of Soviet ideology and collectivisation. Thus on June 14th 1941 and March 25th 1949 the population of Latvia diminished by 60 thousand people overnight. Soviet authorities labelled them as dangerous for socialism and deported them to various destinations in Siberia with no hope of return. Memories of them were unspeakable in the public sphere until perestroika, but since then it has become as principal a source of cultural trauma for Latvians as September 11th is for Americans and the Holocaust is for Jews. During the decline of the Soviet Union, the commemoration of Soviet crimes became an important social practice in Latvia and elsewhere in post-communist societies. A crucial role in this process was played by Latvian mass media: since perestroika the media have been forming the public discourse of the commemoration and thereby also of the trauma of the deportations. By analysing the content of the most read national and local newspapers Latvia issued in the last 23 years, this extensive study offers an overview of the creation and transformation of mediated trauma.

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Dark Tourism: The Attraction of Death and Disaster

Dark Tourism presents a paradoxical attraction, where death and disaster become points of interest and fascination. This form of tourism poses important questions about human nature, our history, and how we remember and interpret the past.

Sofia Vallasciani

Sofia is a sustainable travel writer currently exploring Indonesia. She loves finding local gems and uncharted spots.

Photo: Marcus Witte /Shutterstock

The human nature is such that people are often fascinated by death and tragedy. That is not to say that people have no remorse, but there is curiosity that knows no bounds. It is this novelty that takes tourists to places across the world that have had the unfortunate opportunity to meet a catastrophe. We are talking about dark tourism, often described as the attraction of death and disaster.

Wuhan for example, the Chinese city where Covid-19 originated, was voted by people in the country as the place they’d like to visit most shortly after the pandemic, and increasingly, overseas tourists are including the city on their list of places to visit in China alongside popular destinations like Beijing and Shanghai.

But what is dark tourism? The term emerged in the 1990s within the academic world, and since then, different definitions have been proposed, with the more common one being “tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy”. Dark tourism has thus becomes the mystification of catastrophe. Anthropologically, the phenomenon corresponds to an “attempt to discipline the figure of death.”

Table of Contents

The Controversy Behind Dark Tourism

Photo: Juliano Galvao Gomes /Shutterstock

Dark tourism is considered one of the most controversial tourism trends today, given that it involves visiting places related to death and human suffering. Many scholars argue that this trend is macabre and unethical, as it appears to commercialize tragedy for financial gain.

Nevertheless, there are those who perceive the practice as an opportunity to raise awareness, remember, and respect history, as well as those who associate it with educational purposes.

Traveling to these destinations is believed to bring individuals closer to what has occurred and facilitate a better understanding of such events. As the great British statesman Winston Churchill fittingly put it, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

What Places are Considered “Dark”?

Photo: EcoSpace /Shutterstock

Dark tourism includes places linked to tragedy, such as memorials, concentration camps, areas of paranormal phenomena, locations of nuclear disasters, sites of brutal murders, and places where natural disasters have occurred, among others.

Recently, the areas affected by the 2004 Pacific tsunami and the school where hundreds of children lost their lives following the 2008 earthquake in China have become popular tourist destinations.

Many experts believe dark tourism to be a form of economic exploitation, as the emotional reactions of visitors are often used by tourism agencies to generate profits. Additionally, some places have become meccas for the curious.

For instance, the house where Elizabeth Fritzl, daughter of the “Amstetten Monster,” was locked up for 24 years or the residence where Natalia Kampusch was held for nine years. The latter even decided to purchase the house to prevent someone else from transforming it into an “amusement park.”

This phenomenon of visiting and commercializing spaces of grief dates back to the Middle Ages, where people would visit the tombs of saints to touch them, leave personal effects, or ask for healing. These pilgrimages were centered around the need to heal the body or soul and were not driven by mere curiosity, as in the case of dark tourism.

Why Do Some Places Draw Visitors While Others Do Not

Photo: Marketa1982 /Shutterstock

Not all dark tourism locations are created equal, which raises an important question of why certain tourist destinations are favored over others. The practice is characterized by sites linked to tragedy and death, yet only some become renowned “must-visit” spots.

The reasons behind their popularity vary. Some locations hold significant historical importance and can serve as educational centers. For instance, memorials erected on a site can invite commemoration.

So, despite lacking the typical amenities that appeal to tourists, such as comfort and aesthetic beauty, this trend is only set to grow. According to Clara Tahoces , a writer with extensive experience in researching unusual and enigmatic subjects –  enthusiasts of dark tourism “seek out destinations that differ from typical tourist hotspots because of a touch of morbid curiosity: to learn about peculiar stories or to expand knowledge of certain tragic events that they were already familiar with.”

Photo: Moab Republic /Shutterstock

It is also important to note that certain locations have developed specific attractions to cater to the needs of dark tourists. As such, an increasing number of “attractions” are being group under this type of leisure activity, to the extent that many businesses capitalize on dark tourism without actually being affiliated with it.

Tahoces notes that “fictitious facts are used to sell places where nothing has really happened. For example, supposedly sinister houses on film sets, which often become places of worship.”

The media also plays a role, particularly in cases where we are exposed to shocking news of certain events. Television series and documentaries, such as HBO’s Chernobyl or Netflix’s Dark Tourism, have an impact as well. Following the release of Chernobyl, for example, there was a substantial increase in visits to the site.

What Drives us to Visit These Places

Photo: I. Casavechia /Shutterstock

Everyone is unique, and so are the reasons why we are drawn to certain destinations. For those interested in dark tourism, stepping away from the regular home routine to experience something different is a common desire. The primary motivation for such travel often stems from a yearning to feel something profound, authentic, and somewhat sinister, satisfying our curiosity.

Visiting these places is typically driven by the quest for unique experiences, a curiosity about past events that have shaped societies, and an eagerness to learn more about humanity. This trend isn’t new; back in Victorian London , for example, there was significant interest in visiting sites where Jack the Ripper committed his infamous crimes.

It seems there’s an inherent aspect of human nature that draws us towards death and life’s darker facets. Perhaps it’s this connection to our morbid side that attracts us to these unusual destinations.

Dark Tourism Places To Visit

If your interests are still piqued and you’re rareing to visit some dark tourst destinations, here are a few of the most popular ones:

Kensington Palace (UK)

Photo: FarkasB /Shutterstock 

For over three centuries, Kensington Palace has been the residence of British royalty, bearing witness to both great moments and tragedies, including failed romances, loneliness, rancor, and premature deaths.

Princess Diana once called this palace her home before her untimely death. Today, tourists come from all over the world to pay tribute to the beloved Princess of Wales and learn more about her story.

Book a hotel near Kensington Palace

Aokigahara Forest (Japan)

Photo: Aberu.Go /Shutterstock

Aokigahara, often referred to as “the suicide forest,” has earned a reputation for being a place where numerous individuals choose to end their lives. Although the forest might evoke feelings of fear or curiosity among some visitors, it’s important to note that Japanese officials have ceased the release of suicide statistics to deter the negative portrayal of the forest and lessen the number of people visiting for such tragic reasons. Nowadays, Aokigahara Forest is adorned with messages of hope, encouraging people to seek help and reminding them of the value of life.

In 2017, prominent YouTuber Logan Paul posted a video that quickly became infamous, documenting his visit to the forest. At first glance, everything seemed unremarkable, considering Paul’s reputation for filming videos in unusual locations.

However, what he encountered moments later within the forest left both his followers and Paul himself in shock. The video revealed a disturbing sight: a lifeless body suspended from a tree. A terrified Logan hastily left the scene.

The video sparked significant backlash and universal condemnation from the online community. Many felt that Paul was exploiting the agony of others and disrespecting those who had experienced tragedy in the woods. Moreover, Logan’s initial reaction upon discovering the body was seen as insensitive and lacking in empathy.

9/11 Memorial Museum (New York, United States)

Photo: Pit Stock /Shutterstock

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks shook the world to its core, claiming the lives of nearly 3,000 people. The 9/11 Memorial Museum serves as a tribute to the victims of this devastating event, as well as to those who perished in a previous attack in 1993.

Visitors can pay their respects at the memorial, where the names of those lost are inscribed, and also learn more about the events and people impacted by the attacks.

Ticket for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum can be bought from Get Your Guide

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Pripyat, Ukraine)

Photo: DimaSid /Shutterstock

In 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant became the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history, causing widespread devastation that that continues to have far-reaching impact even today.

While some people remain skeptical about the safety of visiting this location, others are drawn to the eerie beauty of a ghost town frozen in time. Visitors can witness firsthand the aftermath of the explosion and pay their respects to those who lost their lives.

Get a 2-day Private Tour of Chernobyl From Kyiv

Old town of Belchite (Spain):

Photo: Juan Garcia Hinojosa /Shutterstock 

Belchite was the site of a devastating battle during the Spanish Civil War, leaving the town in ruins and abandoned. In recent years, interest in the town has grown due to recordings of eerie sounds and paranormal events, attracting many curious tourists. Despite the tragic history of the town, it serves as a reminder of the impact of war and the importance of preserving historical sites.

The Attraction of Death and Disaster

Photo: Dmytro Tyshchenko /Shutterstock

Dark Tourism the attraction of death and disaster may seem macabre to some, but it holds a profound fascination for others. It is a means to gain an understanding of our past, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, and to experience the profound emotions that come with standing in the presence of tragedy. It is essential, however, to approach these sites with respect, empathy, and a sense of responsibility.

By acknowledging and preserving the stories of these places, we can continue to learn from the events that have shaped our history and ensure that the memories of those who suffered are never forgotten. Through this form of tourism, we can gain a deeper understanding of the fragility of human life and the importance of cherishing every moment.

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Dark Tourism: The attraction of death and disaster

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Exploring the Murky Depths: A Conference on Dark Tourism in Modern Societies Where Historical Narratives Encounter Geographical Landscapes

Call for abstract

International Conference on Dark Tourism (ICDT)

Hybrid Mode

Exploring the Murky Depths: A Conference on Dark Tourism in Modern Societies Where Historical Narratives Encounter Geographical Landscapes.

Date-14-16 September, 2024

Organized by: Department of  Tourism and Aviation Management, Midnapore College (Autonomous), West Bengal, India- 721101

Mode of presentation: Hybrid

Call for Abstracts:

Pioneering Conference on Dark Tourism in India

Be a part of shaping the discourse on a complex and growing interdisciplinary phenomenon. Submit your abstract for the first-ever international conference in India focused exclusively on dark tourism .

 Concept note:

This conference aims to explore the burgeoning phenomenon of dark tourism, where individuals visit sites associated with tragedy, death, and even macabre attractions. It will delve into the social, cultural, psychological, and ethical implications of this trend, analyzing its impact on local communities, the media, and global travel patterns.

The sub-themes for the conference include, but are not limited to:

• Concepts and dimensions
• Interdisciplinary nature 
• Thana tourism and performance
• Religion, ritual, ruin, and remembrance
• Slum and poverty
• Landscape mapping
• Agribusiness, ecotourism, and black farmlands
• Natural disasters and social hazards
• Disruption and rehabilitation
• Economy revitalization
• Heritage and commodification
• Cross-cultural dark tourism
• Empowering marginalized voices
• Memory, dystopia, and manipulation.
• Colonial legacies, controversy, and politics
• From battlefield to theme park
• Beliefs beyond death
• Curiosity, empathy, and motivations
• Spirituality, shadows, pilgrimage and healing
• From ghosts to gods.
• War, terrorism, and resilience
• Communities and impacts
• Ethics, policy preservation, and regulations
• Morality, injustice, and security
• Digital dark tourism
• Media hype and sensation
• Respect, sustainability, and responsibility
• Environment management and balance
• Education and Governance
• Opportunities and challenges

Target Audience:  Academics and researchers from diverse disciplines like anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, geography, tourism studies, media studies, ethics, Policymakers and tourism industry professionals, Community leaders, and representatives, Journalists and media professionals, Students and the general public associated and interested in dark tourism.

Guidelines:  Submit an abstract of original work in a Word document not exceeding 200 words (excluding title) with a maximum of 5 keywords, Times New Roman font style, 12 font size, and 1.5 spacing with a very brief background, objective, methodology, findings, and key implications. Submit this information with the authors’ name, designation, affiliation, phone number, Mail ID, and ORCID ID for at least one author in the submission platform.

Submission Platform:  Submit abstracts via email: [email protected]

/ https://forms.gle/u1RnyiMuEinettiM6

Important Dates:

Submission of abstract

Acceptance of abstract

Submission of full paper

Acceptance of full paper

Final pre- print version

Registration

Early Bird until July 30th, 2024

Registration (INR)

Accompanying Person (INR)

Accommodation

INR 1500 or 20 USD /night /room

Academician

Corporate/Industry

SAARC & African Countries

Other Countries

After 30 th July, 2024

INR 1800 or 23 USD /night /room

Academicians

Payment Details:

Bank name: State Bank of India

Branch name: Midnapore

IFSC Code: SBIN0000132

Account number: 11161737551

Swift code: SBININBB339 (for foreigners only)

Link: https://www.onlinesbi.sbi/sbicollect/icollecthome.htm?corpID=465246 (for Indians only)