Have you ever asked yourself why some persons are attracted to areas of catastrophe or other situations involving death? This growing interest is known as dark tourism. It entails going to places with a background of death, disasters, or any other misfortune that has befallen a place. But what need could one possibly have to go to such places? Here, one has to agree with the statement that people are interested in the dark side of things and history.

But what is dark tourism in the first place? Dark tourism can be defined as tourism to death, suffering, and the dark side. Such sites may be battlefields and war memorials, prisons and places of mass tragedy. There is no universally accepted dark tourism definition, but it is usually defined as a visit to places representing the darker side of human history. In as much it may sound macabre, many people pay heed to these sites for purposes of honoring their dead and being able to learn from such incidences.

Why are such dismal places appealing to people? The motives behind dark tourism are multiple: For some, it’s a way to deal with fear and to come to terms with the existence of death. Some people are inspired by the desire to know history and the events that led to the development of the existing world. Dark tourist is not as much about being entertained as being informed and given something to think about. It’s a way of touching history and experiencing the loss, the pain, the suffering of the people who had to go through that and bow to them as the survivors.

Some dark tourism examples include the following. For instance, Adolf Hitler established Auschwitz in Poland as one of the most visited dark tourism destinations. Here, people come to commemorate the victims of the Shoah and to ponder over the costs of warfare. Another example is the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine, where tourists can visit to witness the effects of the nuclear disaster that occurred in 1986. These sites provide an insight in the past, and the drive lets the visitors feel the past in a very realistic manner.

As with other types of tourism, dark tourism has a certain educational potential but has its ethical implications. Others believe that coming to these places is somehow wrong or wronging the sites. The distinction between education and exploitation is vague, especially when the sites become business. But some think dark tourism is useful for preserving history and telling it to the next generations. So long as these sites are approached respectfully and sensitively, they remain one of the most potent historical lessons.

Conclusion

Dark tourism is an interesting and multifaceted phenomenon that tells a lot about people and their attitudes to history. When defining what is dark tourism, we acquaint ourselves with why people become interested in somber places and the psychological reasons for visiting them. For the historian or anyone interested in the subject, it is always helpful to better understand the specifics of dark tourism. For further information about traveling trends and places, go to Travel Till You Drop.