People plan vacations around all types of goals, from sports to sleep to sustainability. For an increasing number of people, however, the focus of their travel is much more solemn, or even macabre ― a practice known commonly as “dark tourism.”
Dark tourism is not a new travel trend but is as relevant as ever, particularly around spooky season. It likely spikes around this time of year for a reason.
So what exactly is dark tourism and what does it involve? Below, industry experts break down the benefits and downsides.
What is dark tourism?
Dark tourism refers to an approach to travel that involves visiting places associated with death, tragedy and suffering.
“I think this can cover an incredible range of ideas in travel, from places that honor people who have died in wars to famous crime scenes,” Laura Motta, senior director of content at Lonely Planet, told HuffPost.
Dark tourism destinations include battlefields like Gettysburg and Omaha Beach, disaster sites such as Chernobyl and Pompeii, haunted buildings a la The Stanley Hotel and Lizzie Borden House, and death and burial-related locations like the Paris Catacombs and Taj Mahal.
“These are places where travelers dive headlong into difficult, unsavory and complicated history,” Motta said. “It can be a way to learn new things, pay your respects and challenge your perspective, if you’re doing it the right way.”
Some tourists are drawn to the places where famous people died, even opting to stay in specific hotel rooms like the one where musician Gram Parsons died (and where his spirit supposedly still lingers). Others seek tours of locations associated with crimes, particularly unsolved cases involving homicide victims like Elizabeth Short, who is known as the “Black Dahlia.”
“Dark tourism, especially tours and historic sites with tragic pasts, has always been popular,” said Lance Zaal, president and founder of the tour company US Ghost Adventures. “However, with the recent surge in interest around true crime, there’s been an even greater curiosity for dark tourism in general.”
Travelers’ awareness of dark tourism, and the wide range of sites and experiences around the world associated with it, has increased with the rise of social media. There are also shows like the docuseries “Dark Tourist,” which highlights morbid places in destinations like New Orleans, Japan, South Africa and Colombia.
“The TV program ‘Ghost Hunters’ probably increased people’s interest in…
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