Page 214 - Dark Shades of Istria
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Istrian Memories in the Dark Tourism Context: The Quantitative Analysis
derstood as tourists.¹⁰ This issue also corresponds to the claims of Ken-
nell et al. (2018) that the so-called dark events are not exclusively re-
lated to dark tourism. Moreover, they are not necessarily understood
by tourists. This is supported also by Šuligoj’s (2016, p. 265) statement
that ‘terms like memorable tourism or tourism of memory or even her-
itage tourism would probably be more appropriate, although the term
“tourism” is perhaps the most problematic.’ González Vázquez’s (2018)
dark tourism-memorial tourism relationship should also be considered.
However, memory-related tourism is a rather marginal topic in the online
environment (see Figure 2.1), which cannot be categorically ignored.
Four clusters were created in relation to rq 5. Differences in model
quality based on a limited number of the analysed media reports show
that the model is not optimally stable and of quality (‘fair’). This, how-
ever, is not a reason to automatically doubt the existence of different clus-
ters. This is particularly relevant because the entire population’s data were
analysed. It can therefore be concluded that the differences among the in-
cluded events (according to media reports) were identified and, on this
basis, can be classified into four specific clusters. The characteristics of the
identified clusters are symptomatic (indicative) for history-centric dark
commemorative events in Istria.
There is one more thing that should be highlighted. Codes related
to politicisation: (q 21a) ‘Nationalist ideas,’ (q 21b) ‘Regionalist ideas,’
(q21d) ‘Ideological issues,’ (q22a) ‘Militarisation: in plain-clothes,’ (q23f)
‘Symbols of: national minority(s),’ (q 24) ‘Multiculturalism: the multi-
language event’ were removed, and an additional nine were corrected –
see sub-chapter 9.2 ‘Raw Data for Statistical Analysis.’ From the method-
ological point of view, this can be understood as some kind of reductionist
approach, although this was not systematically planned due to the main
idea that dark commemorative events are complex phenomena/systems,
the characteristic of which should be empirically clarified. In terms of
content, many scholars, i.e. Ashworth and Hartmann (2005b), Goulding
and Domic (2009), Henderson (2000), and Wight and Lennon (2007)
point to a sensitive interpretation (to tourists) and the subjection to the
historical revision or political description of people’s lives, suffering and
¹⁰ Especially when the general definition of tourism is strictly followed – see Commission
of the European Communities, Eurostat, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, World Tourism Organization, & United Nations Statistics Division (2001,
p. 1).
214
derstood as tourists.¹⁰ This issue also corresponds to the claims of Ken-
nell et al. (2018) that the so-called dark events are not exclusively re-
lated to dark tourism. Moreover, they are not necessarily understood
by tourists. This is supported also by Šuligoj’s (2016, p. 265) statement
that ‘terms like memorable tourism or tourism of memory or even her-
itage tourism would probably be more appropriate, although the term
“tourism” is perhaps the most problematic.’ González Vázquez’s (2018)
dark tourism-memorial tourism relationship should also be considered.
However, memory-related tourism is a rather marginal topic in the online
environment (see Figure 2.1), which cannot be categorically ignored.
Four clusters were created in relation to rq 5. Differences in model
quality based on a limited number of the analysed media reports show
that the model is not optimally stable and of quality (‘fair’). This, how-
ever, is not a reason to automatically doubt the existence of different clus-
ters. This is particularly relevant because the entire population’s data were
analysed. It can therefore be concluded that the differences among the in-
cluded events (according to media reports) were identified and, on this
basis, can be classified into four specific clusters. The characteristics of the
identified clusters are symptomatic (indicative) for history-centric dark
commemorative events in Istria.
There is one more thing that should be highlighted. Codes related
to politicisation: (q 21a) ‘Nationalist ideas,’ (q 21b) ‘Regionalist ideas,’
(q21d) ‘Ideological issues,’ (q22a) ‘Militarisation: in plain-clothes,’ (q23f)
‘Symbols of: national minority(s),’ (q 24) ‘Multiculturalism: the multi-
language event’ were removed, and an additional nine were corrected –
see sub-chapter 9.2 ‘Raw Data for Statistical Analysis.’ From the method-
ological point of view, this can be understood as some kind of reductionist
approach, although this was not systematically planned due to the main
idea that dark commemorative events are complex phenomena/systems,
the characteristic of which should be empirically clarified. In terms of
content, many scholars, i.e. Ashworth and Hartmann (2005b), Goulding
and Domic (2009), Henderson (2000), and Wight and Lennon (2007)
point to a sensitive interpretation (to tourists) and the subjection to the
historical revision or political description of people’s lives, suffering and
¹⁰ Especially when the general definition of tourism is strictly followed – see Commission
of the European Communities, Eurostat, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, World Tourism Organization, & United Nations Statistics Division (2001,
p. 1).
214
