Dark tourism (also black tourism or grief tourism) is tourism involving travel to sites associated

with death and tragedy. Thanatourism,[1]derived from the Ancient Greek word thanatos for the personification of death, is
associated with dark tourism but refers more specifically to violent death; it is used in fewer contexts than the terms dark
tourism and grief tourism. The main draw however to these locations is mostly due to their historical value rather than their
associations with death and suffering.[2]
This includes castles and battlefields such as Culloden in Scotland and Bran Castle and Poienari Castle in Romania; sites
of disaster, either natural or man made, such as Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Park in Japan [3], Chornobyl in Ukraine [4] [5] [6]and the Ground Zero in New York;Auschwitz concentration
camp [7]; prisons now open to the public such as Beaumaris Prison in Anglesey, Wales; and purpose built centers such as
the London Dungeon, the Spirit Lake Internment Camp centre (near La Ferme, Quebec) and other sites associated with
Canada's first national internment operations. It also includes other sites of human atrocities and genocide, such as
the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia.

Dark Tourism became a field of study in 1996 when the term was coined by Professor John Lennon and Malcolm Foley
of Glasgow Caledonian University. Scholars have analyzed both recent and ancient settings which attract visitors and are
associated with death. Scholars of the field hope to understand tourist motivation for visiting such locations. [8] Dr. Philip
Stone, a senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, is another one of the individuals currently studying this
field. He has written several journals and given presentations on the subject. He has tried to determine moral and social
effects of dark tourism, pointing out how individuals come together in these places associated with grief and death. Stone
has also stated how dark tourism represents immorality so that morality may be communicated. [9] In Latin
America, Maximiliano E. Korstanje continued the contributions of Stone to expand the current understanding of disasters,
mass-death and sanctuaries such as the tragedy of Croman where 194 attendants lost their life in a music festival. Dark
tourism would be a mechanism of resiliency that helps society in the process of recovery after a disaster or cathastrophe, a
form of domesticating death in a secularized world.

Introduction

Dark tourism is the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions and exhibitions which have real or recreated death, suffering or the
seemingly macabre as a main theme. This is not a new phenomenon. For many years now dark tourism has been part of our
fascination, dating back to the pilgrims. Now however we seek it for very different reasons. Most recently Ground Zero in America,
marking the collapse of the twin towers, has become an essential part of the ever expanding dark tourism sector.

Original article: Dark Tourism: A Fine Line Between Curiosity and Exploitation by The Travelzine for todays Vagabond , Tuesday
Edition / October 28, 2008

Essay by David Ekesong

Master in Tourism Destination Management student 2008/2009

The article refers to different types of tourism that may be categorized as dark tourism. The different types of dark tourism include Grief
Tourism which is a kind of sightseeing that many of us have been doing naturally for years. Basically, you can define grief tourism as
being when you travel somewhere to visit a scene of some tragic event; Disaster Tourism refers to an onslaught of visitors following

some kind of natural disaster, such as those visiting south-east Asia following the 2004 tsunami crisis, or people travelling to New
Orleans to see the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, are both examples of disaster tourism; Poverty Tourism which usually features tours
to slum areas and poverty stricken towns; Suicide Tourism Which generally takes two forms. The first involves people travelling to a
particular destination with the intention of committing suicide, often by jumping from a famous landmark. Statistics prove that a significant
proportion of suicide cases at well-known tourist attractions are tourists, although its not clear whether their trip was planned around this.

A second form of suicide tourism takes into account the various laws related to euthanasia in different countries. For example, in several
European countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, active euthanasia is not illegal, and terminally-ill people sometimes
travel there to end their life legally; Doomsday Tourism which has to do with the belief that the end of the world is coming, Or at the very
least, the end of certain tourist attractions is coming. Doomsday tourism refers to the thinking that you should hurry up and visit particular
places which are under threat, usually as a result of environmental problems and globing warming.

While I have nothing against those who get involved in one form of dark tourism or another, I find it rather ironic that tourism which
contributes enormously to emissions and thus global warming still grows in the wake of its own impact. In other words, the notion of
global warming being a tourism attraction while tourism itself is contributing to the global warming phenomena is not only preposterous
but outrageous to say the least.

Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support
of this act. According to the World Tourism Organization, tourists are people who "travel to and stay in places outside their
usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the
exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited".
Tourism has become an extremely popular, global activity. In 2004, there were over 763 million international tourist arrivals.
[1]

As a service industry, tourism has numerous tangible and intangible elements. Major tangible elements
include transportation, accommodation, and other components of ahospitality industry. Major intangible elements relate to
the purpose or motivation for becoming a tourist, such as rest, relaxation, the opportunity to meet new people and
experience other cultures, or simply to do something different and have an adventure.
Tourism is vital for many countries, due to the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the
taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the opportunity for employment and economic advancement by
working in the industry. For these reasons, NGOs and government agencies may sometimes promote a specific region as
a tourist destination, and support the development of a tourism industry in that area. The contemporary phenomenon of
mass tourism may sometimes result in overdevelopment; alternative forms of tourism such as ecotourism seek to avoid
such outcomes by pursuing tourism in a sustainable way.
The terms tourism and travel are sometimes used interchangeably. In this context travel has a similar definition to tourism,
but implies a more purposeful journey. The terms tourism and tourist are sometimes used pejoratively to imply a shallow
interest in the cultures or locations visited by tourists.

Dark tourism: is the travel to sites associated with death and suffering. The first tourist agency to specialise in this

kind of tourism started with trips to Lakehurst, New Jersey, the scene of theHindenburg airship disaster.

Dark Tourism: A Different Take on Philippine Tourism

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Posted by Alexandra Salcedo on Mar 5, 2013 in History and Culture, Travel: Destination, Philippines
Dark Tourism is defined by Dr. Philip Stone of the University of Lancaster in 2005 as the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions
and exhibitions which have real or recreated death, suffering or the seemingly macabre as a main theme.
He also believes that the rising phenomenon of Dark Tourism can be attributed to the visitors quest for a sense of meaning in places of
suffering, which allow time for a sense of empathy with those involved before stepping back into the safety of their own lives.
Its a by-product of a new space in a secular world, where tourists attempt to connect with death and their morals without the traditional
framework of religion, he added.
Examples of tourist destinations that may be categorized under Dark Tourism: Westminster Abbey in London, St. Peters Basilica in
Vatican City, Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. All of these are burial sites of people that are famous throughout
history.
Places where great tragedy took place like Ground Zero in New York City, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the Auschwitz concentration camp
in Poland can also be considered under this category.
This is an interesting and different take in Philippine tourism. Remnants of our colonial past are worth exploring for its rich, cultural
significance. It also provides a new opportunity for foreign nationals and locals to view a different facet of the country.
With the increasing popularity of dark tourism, there should be an ethical way to develop and manage it. There is a tendency for tourists
to desecrate these grounds by conducting all sorts of paranormal activity to call on spirits from the other side. Here in the Philippines,
the fascination for the supernatural phenomenon can turn into a major problem.
According to the Pinay Solo Backpacker, its the question of how dark is dark tourism that youre participating in and of your intention
(which unfortunately no one can tell but you). While there are places that are safe and okay to visit like the century old churches, war
memorials and mausoleums, there are those darkest of the dark tourism like visiting a place where a tragedy just took place or a killing is
taking place that should be avoided.
Some of the popular sites under Dark Tourism here in the Philippines are Paco Park & Cemetery, San Agustin Church Museum in
Intramuros, Baguio City and Corregidor Island.

San Agustin Church, Intramuros

Photo Credit: blissful-weddings.com

Paco Park and Cemetery

Corregidor Island

In every tourist destination, it is expected of the visitors to be socially, culturally and morally responsible.

Dark Tourism : My Fascination with Cemeteries

Dark Tourism is the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions and exhibitions which have real or
recreated death, suffering or the seemingly macabre as a main theme (as mentioned by
thepinaysolobackpacker.com). Honestly, I didn't know that there's such a term not until she posted
an article about it on her blog. In my previous travels, I have been visiting remarkable cemeteries in
different parts of our country. I have acquired a fascination not only on heritage houses but also with old
and interesting cemeteries that are rich in history and has a lot of "out of the ordinary" story to tell.
I visit cemeteries because of its rich historical value, notable architecture and vibrant past. These
cemeteries had been part of our rich culture and heritage, thus, paying a visit brings me back to the past.
With this, I want to take you to some of the cemeteries that I've visited in my previous travels.
Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery
Location: Nagcarlan, Laguna
Date of visit: July 4, 2010
Built by the Franciscan Missionaries in 1851, this cemetery is said to used as an underground crypt were
Filipino revolutionaries plotted against the Spanish rule. It is also a known fact that cemeteries like this is
where only the elite Catholic families were buried during that time.

Because of it's rich history, this burial ground has been inscribed by the National Historical Institute as
a National Historical Landmark.
This visit is part of our 2-day Western Laguna Road Trip. Click here to read more.
San Joaquin Roman Catholic Cemetery
Location: San Joaquin, Iloilo
Date of visit: November 22, 2010

The most compelling feature of this century-old Roman Catholic cemetery is theCampo Santo sitting on a
hill overlooking the sea. This chapel is popular for its intricate baroque architecture with oriental influences.
It is even made more impressive by the grand stone staircase approaching the beautiful chapel.

The chapel is made of white coral and fossil stones alternating with coral stone-red bricks. It is said to be
used by the locals during the early days, to celebrate the holy mass before a burial.
This visit is part of our Iloilo-Guimaras adventure last year. Click here to read more.
Paco Cemetery
Location: Paco, Manila
Date of visit: February 6, 2011

Probably one of the oldest cemeteries in our country, Paco Park is Manilas municipal cemetery during the
Spanish colonial period. Most of the wealthy families during that time interred the remains of their loved
ones here. Tough it was originally planned as a municipal cemetery for the well-off and established upperclass Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, it was also used to bury victims of a cholera epidemic
that swept across the city during that time.

Our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was secretly interred here by the Spaniards after his execution in
Bagumbayan in December 30, 1896. It is also the final resting place of the three Filipino martyr priests,
Mario Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora(GOMBURZA), who were executed by the Spaniards in
1872 for their participation in an uprising against Spain.
This visit is part of our Paco Park and Cemetery weekend early this year. Click here to read more.

Camiguin's Sunken Cemetery

Location: Catarman, Camiguin
Date of visit: August 7, 2011

One of the most photographed sites in Camiguin. The sunken cemetery is a result of the volcanic birth
of Mt. Vulcan. Some areas in the town of Bonbon diminished during that time that led to the sinking of the
town's cemetery to below sea level. In 1982, a huge white cross was erected to mark the cemetery that
was swept by the said eruption.

This visit is part of my visit to Camiguin last August. Click here to read more.