Banalizing the Alterity

This chapter discusses the problem of poverty as something finely integrated in dark tourism. Though originally, both concepts sound very distant, no less true is that dark tourism and slum tourism are inextricably intertwined. Throughout this chapter review, we placed a hot debate on the role of globalization as a chief agent oriented to connect dissimilar economies into an all-encompassing system. The question whether tourism should be considered ethical or not still remains open. In days of Thana-Capitalism the suffering pivoted as the main commodity not only that helps structuring social institutions, but the necessary mediator between lay-people and their states.

Dark Tourism as a Form of Governmentality of Fear

Although dark tourism attracts many scholars from different backgrounds, there is no consensus about its definition. Yet still, it is possible to classify the discussions revolving around the definition issue: The first group focuses on the descriptive side of dark tourism in terms of “sudden death and disaster,” while a second group gives priority to the existential dimension of the dark touristic interest in terms of “never-ending death and disaster.” However, fear appears as a surrounding component of both approaches. At that point, this study questions the relationship between the rise of dark touristic interest since the 1990s and the notion of governmentality of fear. In this respect, the study attempts to make bridge between the existential context of dark tourism and its political dimension with the Foucauldian terms, especially by shedding light on dark tourism in terms of “biopower technology.”

Research Methods in Dark Tourism Fields

The current chapter delves into the methodologies as well as limitations of used method in dark tourism fields. As fieldworkers are familiar, sometimes interviewees not only are incognizant of their inner-world, but in other occasion, they simply do not say the truth to protect their own interests. Though in tourism and dark tourism fields, researchers are prone to administer questionnaires or interviews as the main methodological option, no less true is that results are far from being clear or have very problems to be organized in an all-encompassing model.

Animal Sexual Abuse and the Darkness of Touristic Immorality

Simply put, tourism is about travel and its associated services. Yet, beyond its glittery appearance, at least sometimes, these services contain elements of domination and control of fellow humans, nature, and culture. Even innocent animals are not spared in the pursuit to making money. The extant literature on “dark tourism” barely addresses the darkness of tourist behavior derived from the nexus between human avarice and animal suffering. Sexual relations with animals has been documented for many centuries; yet, this exploitation as a touristic pursuit is relatively new. In this paper, conditions for the growth of this phenomenon and international regulatory responses are described and the structure and dynamics of the underground animal sex tourism industry are explored.

Death and Culture

Taking cues from the surging popularity of thana-tourism, this paper argues that its prevalence echoes the end days of capitalism. The predominant forms of tourism in a society reflect the ethos of that society. What we once called ‘mass tourism' reflected the spirit of classical capitalism; later, ecotourism and various other alternative forms of tourism reflected a critical turn in capitalism, often called the ‘sympathetic capitalism'. These were incremental alternations, however. Thana-tourism is a qualitatively discontinuous form of tourism and its surge should thus correspond with a similarly discontinuous, radical, shift in capitalism. The authors present scholarly perspectives to bring home the view that thana-tourism might indeed be symptomatic of the end of capitalism

Going to the Dark Sites With Intention

This chapter discusses construction of niche tourism in postmodernism. It aims to give a flavour on how the arguments are presented. Utilising death sites and Voluntourism, coupled with proliferation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as backdrop, this chapter sets to the layer of dark tourism as the revelation and contemplation, it bridges the nexus between visiting the death sites and extreme poverty areas, and hospitality features as core essence attributed to authentic experience. This chapter thus is an agreement of the previous studies which suggest authentic experience derived from cool authenticity and existential authenticity. It would emerge as not only the answer for searching authentic experiences but also most importantly it could extend the niche tourism formation and deepen Voluntourism conceptualisation. Findings of this study provide practitioners in the tourism and hospitality industries with clues to position death sites and Voluntourism as premium market offerings. Eventually, some directions for future study are discussed.

Emotionality, Reason, and Dark Tourism

The present chapter questions to what extent visitors in dark sites are really interested for heritage issues or understanding the roots of moral disasters as the specialized literature suggests or simply are in quest of pleasure-maximization. This text is based on a criticism of the book Heritage that hurts authored by Joy Sather-Wagstaff. Far from any emotionality, dark tourism represents an ideological mechanism to reinforce the supremacy of liberal cultural values which are enrooted in late-capitalism. As the previous backdrop, to what extent tourists visiting these sites emulate (living as victims) or produce a genuine empathy with suffering is the main question goes unnoticed for sociologists and anthropologists. This essay review, which explores the roots of emotions not only continues our previous research in regards to the rise of Thana-Capitalism.

Political Reflections on Dark Tourism

This paper argues the popular black spots of Turkey, which are really few, initially serve as a political instrument to construct and deepen the national identity. Gallipoli, Anitkabir, National Park for Commander-in-chief, the deathbed of Ataturk, Ulucanlar Prison, and Sakarya Earthquake Museum are well-known black spots in Turkey which could be addressed to improve this argument. The discourse of sterile interior designs, introductory brochures, official web pages, digital presentation and the quantitative gap between domestic and foreign visitors are some proofs, supporting the claim. On the other side of the coin, however, the construction of realms of memory, belonging to the “others” is continuously is suspended and included in official ideology through normalization processes. Diyarbakir Prison, Madimak Hotel Askale are the discursive given “darker sites,” exemplifying the counter-discursive black spots in this sense. So, it can be concluded that the initial function of few samples of dark tourism sites in Turkey is mainly political rather than being economic or cultural.

On the Use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Identify the Bright Spots in Dark Tourism

As Haiti lacks visitor attractions, the development of an authentic event programme is going to be an essential part of the on-going tourism strategy. Culturally rich events are part of the appeal of a destination and can be cost efficient to organise. Furthermore it is well documented that planned events have the ability to improve national pride in small developing countries. From our findings we have highlighted the fact that Voodoo has helped the Haitian people to maintain its true nature and culture and now offer economic development options to the destination. The development of voodoo events will enhance Haiti's tourism and provide opportunities for locals to embrace their cultural heritage and come to terms with their past. That said, unless the ‘blind spots' of the destination are removed, there is no empirical evidence to confirm that tourism will bring prosperity to Haiti nor that voodoo can play a significant role in the country's tourism sector.

Museums of Dark Mythologies in the Tourist Place

The present chapter focuses on the role of museums as producer of dark myths, which means the cultural background that leads visitors to consume “other´s death”. Anthropologically speaking, museums are symbolic instrument that helps understanding traumatic events. For this reason, it is important to deepen the connection between tourism consumption and disasters. Over centuries, positivism trivialized mythology as a fictional story, or rumors proper of primitive cultures; rather, not only myths play a leading role in configuring culture, but also the borders between life and death. Here we propose an alternative fresh methodology to study dark tourism issues in the decades to come.