Page 32 - Dark Shades of Istria
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Dark Tourism Theory and Discourse
2.2 Dark Tourism Typology
Heterogeneity, which is reflected in the definition of the research area,
also appears in its typology, although scholars are not so propulsive and
creative here. The consensus between scholars is that dark tourism typol-
ogy depends on the visitors’ motivations and sites (Fonseca et al., 2016,
p. 1). Fonseca et al. (2016), based on the literature review, develop the fol-
lowing typology:
• war tourism, including battlefield tourism: visiting historically im-
portant post-conflict sites/areas (military museums, fortifications,
castles, memorial landscapes etc.) for the purpose of sightseeing and
historical education;
• disaster tourism: visits to places where natural or other disasters have
recently occurred, in order to see the devastating consequences (in-
formative and educational role);
• prison tourism: visiting prisons with a dark past for the purpose of
education or entertainment – including ghost hunters;
• cemetery tourism: visiting cemeteries to see statues or other decora-
tions on the graves of known/famous or unknown people or at other
facilities (educational purposes);⁶
• ghost tourism: commercialisation of ghosts, either for spiritual, edu-
cational, historical or entertainment purposes;
• holocaust tourism: visiting places where the most inhumane histori-
cal events took place, especially mass killings and torture (commem-
orative and educational purposes).⁷
Kužnik (2015, pp. 331–332), and Kužnik and Veble (2017, pp. 147–148)
form the following typology based on representative examples from all
around the world:
• grave tourism: visiting famous cemeteries, graves of famous individ-
uals, or grand mausoleums of some real cult personality;
• war or battlefield tourism: visiting post-war places/sites;
• holocaust tourism: visiting memorial sites, i.e. concentration camps,
memorial museums, former ghettos and similar places;
⁶ Many practical examples and descriptions can be found on the website of as ce (Asso-
ciation of Significant Cemeteries in Europe).
⁷ Interestingly, the educational aspect of the memory was, on the other hand, highlighted
by Ćurković Nimac and Valković (2018).
32
2.2 Dark Tourism Typology
Heterogeneity, which is reflected in the definition of the research area,
also appears in its typology, although scholars are not so propulsive and
creative here. The consensus between scholars is that dark tourism typol-
ogy depends on the visitors’ motivations and sites (Fonseca et al., 2016,
p. 1). Fonseca et al. (2016), based on the literature review, develop the fol-
lowing typology:
• war tourism, including battlefield tourism: visiting historically im-
portant post-conflict sites/areas (military museums, fortifications,
castles, memorial landscapes etc.) for the purpose of sightseeing and
historical education;
• disaster tourism: visits to places where natural or other disasters have
recently occurred, in order to see the devastating consequences (in-
formative and educational role);
• prison tourism: visiting prisons with a dark past for the purpose of
education or entertainment – including ghost hunters;
• cemetery tourism: visiting cemeteries to see statues or other decora-
tions on the graves of known/famous or unknown people or at other
facilities (educational purposes);⁶
• ghost tourism: commercialisation of ghosts, either for spiritual, edu-
cational, historical or entertainment purposes;
• holocaust tourism: visiting places where the most inhumane histori-
cal events took place, especially mass killings and torture (commem-
orative and educational purposes).⁷
Kužnik (2015, pp. 331–332), and Kužnik and Veble (2017, pp. 147–148)
form the following typology based on representative examples from all
around the world:
• grave tourism: visiting famous cemeteries, graves of famous individ-
uals, or grand mausoleums of some real cult personality;
• war or battlefield tourism: visiting post-war places/sites;
• holocaust tourism: visiting memorial sites, i.e. concentration camps,
memorial museums, former ghettos and similar places;
⁶ Many practical examples and descriptions can be found on the website of as ce (Asso-
ciation of Significant Cemeteries in Europe).
⁷ Interestingly, the educational aspect of the memory was, on the other hand, highlighted
by Ćurković Nimac and Valković (2018).
32
