Dark Tourism and Thana-Events - Case Study Example

Dark Tourism and Thana-Events Student Name Course Name Name of Institution Date Dark Tourism and Thana-Events: Managing Macabre Attractions and Exhibitions Abstract The study of thanatourism has revealed the essence of death to the living and the need to create the connection between the two. It reveals the existent of a relationship between the two that features as an exhibition of mortality that the significant other dead sustains in the living even in their death. Different examples are provided with the most notable being the 9/11 attack on the United States in which the living have a level of value and essence accorded to those that died. Thanatourism also referred to as the dark tourism is central to ensuring that the concerns of the dead remain relevant to the living and creates room for the living to connect with the dead. The management of macabre attractions and exhibitions proves essential in influencing the development of positive results in dark tourism. These influence its acceptance in society and increasing the value that has seen the number of those that practice it grow. The study of dark tourism reveals the visit of places considered historically associating with tragedy and deaths including the reasons that many people consider visiting these sites considering dark tourism rely on more than just visiting the dark sites (Foley & Lennon, 2007). The practice of dark tourism also referred to as thanatourism represents the personification of death or peaceful death with many people visiting these sites due to their historical essence and not the associations with the suffering and death of those involved in its creation. Different scholars have studied this subject and reviewed the content of dark tourism. These have explained in detail the motivation for dark tourism, its benefits to society and the approaches to employ in managing attractions or exhibitions considered to offer dark tourism. The research below focuses on these elements of dark tourism including the significant other dead that exists within dark tourism and the development of secular morality. It provides a critical analysis of these elements with the aim of providing information surrounding the practice. In understanding this concept, learning different examples of sites considered to involve dark tourism provides a basis for reasoning the nature of tourism. These include places like the A-Bome-Dome, Peace Park/Museum located in Hiroshima Japan, 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero among others (Dark tourism, n.d. par, 3). Based on these, it proves evident that dark tourism deals with historical events that proved disastrous and claimed lives of people. These present the viewpoint emphasized by many people that have studied this subject. According to Stone, (2012, p.1565) emphasizes that the packing of death as a tourist activity has for long featured as an appropriate tourism activity that is essentially considered as commoditization of death. The author provides an example of the visiting of morgues that occurred during the Victorian times as an example of dark tourism that has developed to date. Visiting sites that include the above examples provided influences the development of dark tourism considering the preservation of these sites is based on the growing demand that has many people desire or visit the sites annually. These have contributed to the management of these attractions and their exhibition. According to the definition provided by Travel Forum Board 2010, thanatourism is a combination of the Greek word Thanatos which means death with tourism that results in the use of thanatourism to represent dark tourism. The definition relates to the works of other scholars on the same subject. Traveling to places that have pain, horrible conditions of living, suffering from people, disasters either manmade or natural exhibits dark tourism. Many of the residents in these areas in which dark tourism is present enjoy benefits of associating with these places considering they earn revenue from the tourists and obtain support for their contribution to the society through increased government infrastructural projects. In this article, the Travel Forum Board asserts that people find death rather attractive despite many standing in denial of the same. The growing market of dark tourism in the world is represented by the attractive nature of death that people identify with and hence finding dark tourism an important activity. The variety of books dedicated to mass murder is also an explanation of the growing exploitation of this form of activity. Convery, Corsane & Davis, (2014, p.21) reveal that the association of disasters with catastrophic events that result in economic, social hardships and material destructions besides the loss of lives has revealed the development of battlefield sites as points of tourist attractions. The difficulties of anticipating these events and the level of effect that they have on society add to the level of damage that they cause with an example of the Hiroshima bombing of Japan that left a lasting effect on the people. These have resulted in the isolation of these places as those valued among the historical sites of different countries. People visit these places to learn the events that occurred during the time leading to the destruction and deaths of people. According to Willis, (2014) characterizes dark tourism as an audience to the absence that engulfs both those practicing dark tourism and theatrics focused on dead people. The people that attend these events enjoy the platform that exhibits death in a manner that makes the spectators in a theater or the historical sites have a connection with the dead. Dalton, (2014, p.189) explains this form of tourism as the mediation between mortality with many of the people practicing it having affective empathy with those people killed at the sites or the dead that the dark events explain. Many of the victims that succumbed to totalitarian regimes played a significant role in history. Learning the occurrences that affected these people and their lives increases the knowledge that one needs to practice this form or tourism. The quest for knowledge and a relation with the dead also explains this tourist attraction and its impact on economies. The origin of dark tourism is also evident as from 1838 with the first tour arranged in England. The tour aimed at taking people to Wadebridge using a special train that took the people to Bodmin a place that they witnessed two people hanged for murder (Stone, 2005, p.3). In this work, it is also revealed that the display of a horrible object creates the normal of it and hence increasing the attraction of people to it. The development of dark tourism has benefited from the assertion that was contributive to the motivation of people to exhibit these places. Postmodernism also asserts that fatality is a striking feature that many people have embraced over the years. Fatalities also related to the commodification of death have raised the notion of black spots and other terms including milking the macabre that all indicate to the concept of dark tourism. Stones further discuss the classifications of dark tourism to include perilous places, fields of fatality, houses of horror, tours of torment and themed Thanatos with each having a symbolic aspect that connects it to death or fatalities. These places have over the years developed into tourist attractions that many people visit the exhibit and learn the events involved leading to the fatalities identified. Stones further asserts that the commodification of death has developed on which dark tourism relies. In his view, dark tourism exists as a modern day institution that works on mediating the dead and the living. It also creates avenues through which people create the meaning of mortality and employ it in their daily lives to make sense of life events. The construction of secular morality is therefore based on the environment that dark tourism creates in which people understand the element of mortality more and link with the dead. Thana events according to Graham & Howard, (2012, p.234) associates this form of tourism in different forms one of which is victim tourism in which the tourist has an identification with the victims. The events of Thana relates to this form of dark tourism that has seen an explanation of grudges between people that is the visitors and the perpetrators of events that led to the death of the victims. These may extend into the present hence increasing the level of apathy that the tourist exhibit in relation to the victims of the actions. The use of mea culpa as a form of tourism explains the existence of identification between the visitors and the victims through the perpetrators of the violence backed by the desire for reconciliations and the resolution of elements that contributed to the past violence. According to Sharply & Stone, (2009, p.5), examples of these forms of events include the visits to battlefields such as the Waterloo battlefield of 1816, visits to morgues as one of the regular events in Paris represents Thanatourism. The sites that predate memory of living represent Thanatourism events that have increasingly contributed to learning of the history of the different people and nations. The development of dark tourism over the years has increased with growing diversity that has engulfed other events. These events include those that promote leisure activities involving thanatourism. On the other hand, Sharpley & Stone, (2010, p.25) relate this form of tourism with the significant other dead. The term is used to represent the mediating effect that thanatourism has linked the living and the dead. The role of significant other dead is in creating a link that has people that for years has represented the contract between those living and those dead as one involving indebtedness. The debt between the two is on the living to preserve the authority of the dead and head to those concerns they raised before their death. These keeps the dead going in their afterlife knowing that their actions, intentions, and concerns remain addressed even in their death. Sharpley & Stone, (2014, p.92) further examine the element of mortality as included in the significant other dead which provides the living an opportunity through which they contemplate death. They provide a further example with those that died during the 9/11 attack on the United States in which those living to attach a level of significance to those that died during the attack. These provide a classic example of the element of thanatourism. The essence of this form of tourism, therefore, lies in its inseparability that services carry based on the consumption and production elements as asserted by Upreti et al. (2013, p.27). The inseparability between the living and the dead prove the central anchors of dark tourism and the focus of its development. The link created between the living, and the dead proves to last and of effect to the kind of life that the living live considering they value the concerns of the dead. Tourists that in search of excitement visit these sites that had tragedies occur such as those that involved deaths and disasters exhibit the link between them and the dead, which is an essential connection between the two worlds. The dead are viewed as the significant other to the living and hence the innate feeling of excitement that has developed this form of tourism. Management of Dark Tourism Sites (Macabre Attractions and Exhibitions) The need to maintain and manage these tourist attractions proves essential in the maintenance of the development of the economic activity. Garcia, (2012, p.14) provides the macabre as one of the places in which the exhibition of dark tourism occurs. Dark tourism also referred to as ghost tours involve the need to develop interpretative, ethical and managerial issues that would improve these places and increase the benefits obtained from their existence. The management of these places proves essential considering it ensures the attractiveness of the sites remains relevant. The ability of the sites to increase their economic essence is based on the level of management provided to them with consideration of ethical conduct that improves the level of maintenance exhibited. These improve the level of satisfaction that visitors to these sites obtain and hence increasing the continued growth of the tourist activity. An example of management of dark tourism sites is provided by White & Frew, (2013, p.91) in the case of Chernobyl. In this case, the functionality of the site and its touristic consumption increases the need to have measures of management in place to influence its maintenance. As a tourist attraction, the nature of the sites proves reflective of the society in which they exist and hence the need for these societies to ensure maintenance work and highly qualified personnel handling the tourist attractions. Chernobyl exists as both an imagined and a real tourist attraction. The failure of managing these places is reflective of political failure on the part of managing the penetrability of Chernobyl also highly influences the need to manage it and improve it regularly. According to Hall et al. (2016, p.187), the management of the Macabre of attractions and exhibitions has developed as a form of art that represents much of the dark entertainment as a form considered media-borne. Different forms of media have propelled this level of entertainment ranging from the broadcast media, print media, and the internet. Each of these has provided an avenue through which people that enjoy dark entertainment are able to obtain it. The presentation of dark media requires presentation of information considered factual and accurate to prevent misrepresentation of the information on the events that occurred leading to the deaths or fatalities involved. Further, Smith & Richards, (2013, p.182) reveals that dark tourism relates closely to cultural tourism that has involved the management of visitors of these places and the interpretation of the information provided to them. These each contribute to the development and advancement of cultural tourism which is associated with dark tourism. Events such as hurricanes occur leaving disastrous sites behind that people will need guidance in interpreting. These sites may further prove disastrous if left in their occurring states for people to visit and hence the need to improve them and make them attractive to a large audience that comes to learn and relate with those that perished in the event. In addition, Hooper & Lennon, (2016, p.37) assert that the essence of interpretation in dark tourism is in increasing the ability of many people to understand the issues of mortality arising due to these events. In an example of the KZ memorial site in Germany, the historical and educational value of such sites is highlighted and the visitors need to understand these and interpret the history presented. Providing good guidance and interpretation through well-educated individuals on the events improves these abilities. The management of the Macabre requires the use of well-educated people that understand the events and interpret them well. These need to have good relations with the audience or the customers to motivate the growth of this economic activity. In conclusion, Thanatourism is an essential economic activity that any country may rely on considering it does not only maintain a heritage with its connection to culture and creates a link between the living and the dead. The development of this form of tourism has aimed at ensuring those concerns raised by the significant other remain relevant in life even with their death and hence creating the aspect of mortality that has given meaning to many interactions of dark tourism. The management of these sites considered of the historical essence and to provide dark tourism proves an integral part of society. Different examples are provided to reflect this form of tourism. These include the sites of hurricanes and tsunamis that claim multitudes of lives, the Hiroshima bombing in Japan and the visiting of morgues in Paris. Each of these has revealed the essence of this form or tourism to society. The significant other therefore remains relevant in society even after their demise. They continue contributing to the growth of the society and the existence of those living and hence their contribution to the growth of dark tourism. Reference List Convery, I., Corsane, G. & Davis, P. 2014. Displaced Heritage: Responses to Disaster, Trauma, and Loss. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. Dalton, D. 2014. Dark Tourism and Crime. Routledge. Dark tourism, n.d. What is Dark Tourism? Viewed from http://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/18-main-menus/mainmenussubpages/599-what-is-dark-tourism Foley, M. & Lennon, J. J. 2007. JFK and Dark Tourism: A Fascination with Assassination. International Journal of Heritage Studies. Garcia, B. R. 2012. Management Issues in Dark Tourism Attractions: The Case of Ghost Tours in Edinburgh and Toledo. Graham, B. & Howard, P. 2012. The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage and Identity. Ashgate Publishing. Hall, C. M., Malinene, S., Vosslamber, R. & Wordsworth, R. 2016. Business and Post-disaster Management: Business, Organizational and Consumer Resilience and the Christchurch Earthquakes. Routledge. Hooper, G. & Lennon, J. L. 2016. Dark Tourism: Practice and Interpretation. Routledge Sharpley, R. & Stone, P. 2014. Contemporary Tourist Experience: Concepts and Consequences. Routledge Sharpley, R., & Stone, P. R. 2010. Tourist Experience: Contemporary Perspectives. Routledge Sharply, R. & Stone, P. R. 2009. The Darker Side of Travel. Channel View Publications. Smith, M. & Richards, G. 2013. The Routledge Handbook of Cultural Tourism. Routledge Stone, P. R. 2005. Managing Dark Tourism Attractions & Exhibitions. The university of Central Lancashire. Viewed from http://slideplayer.com/slide/9107500/ Stone, P. R. 2012. Dark Tourism and Significant Other Death: Towards a Model of Mortality Mediation. Annals of Tourism Research. Travel Forum Board, 2010. Thanatourism: Definition of Dark Tourism. Viewed from http://www.travelforumboard.com/travel-tips/thanatourism-definition-dark-tourism/ Upreti, B. R., Sharma, S. R., Upadhaya, P. K., & Andrea, G. S. 2013. Making Business Count for Peace: Reflections from Tourism Sector in Nepal. South Asia Regional Coordination Office of the Swiss National Center for Competence in Research North-South. White, L. & Frew, E. 2013. Dark Tourism and Place Identity: Managing and Interpreting Dark Places. Routledge. Willis, E. 2014. Theatricality, Dark Tourism and Ethical Spectatorship: Absent Others. Springer. Read More

According to the definition provided by Travel Forum Board 2010, thanatourism is a combination of the Greek word Thanatos which means death with tourism that results in the use of thanatourism to represent dark tourism. The definition relates to the works of other scholars on the same subject. Traveling to places that have pain, horrible conditions of living, suffering from people, disasters either manmade or natural exhibits dark tourism. Many of the residents in these areas in which dark tourism is present enjoy benefits of associating with these places considering they earn revenue from the tourists and obtain support for their contribution to the society through increased government infrastructural projects.

In this article, the Travel Forum Board asserts that people find death rather attractive despite many standing in denial of the same. The growing market of dark tourism in the world is represented by the attractive nature of death that people identify with and hence finding dark tourism an important activity. The variety of books dedicated to mass murder is also an explanation of the growing exploitation of this form of activity. Convery, Corsane & Davis, (2014, p.21) reveal that the association of disasters with catastrophic events that result in economic, social hardships and material destructions besides the loss of lives has revealed the development of battlefield sites as points of tourist attractions.

The difficulties of anticipating these events and the level of effect that they have on society add to the level of damage that they cause with an example of the Hiroshima bombing of Japan that left a lasting effect on the people. These have resulted in the isolation of these places as those valued among the historical sites of different countries. People visit these places to learn the events that occurred during the time leading to the destruction and deaths of people. According to Willis, (2014) characterizes dark tourism as an audience to the absence that engulfs both those practicing dark tourism and theatrics focused on dead people.

The people that attend these events enjoy the platform that exhibits death in a manner that makes the spectators in a theater or the historical sites have a connection with the dead. Dalton, (2014, p.189) explains this form of tourism as the mediation between mortality with many of the people practicing it having affective empathy with those people killed at the sites or the dead that the dark events explain. Many of the victims that succumbed to totalitarian regimes played a significant role in history.

Learning the occurrences that affected these people and their lives increases the knowledge that one needs to practice this form or tourism. The quest for knowledge and a relation with the dead also explains this tourist attraction and its impact on economies. The origin of dark tourism is also evident as from 1838 with the first tour arranged in England. The tour aimed at taking people to Wadebridge using a special train that took the people to Bodmin a place that they witnessed two people hanged for murder (Stone, 2005, p.3). In this work, it is also revealed that the display of a horrible object creates the normal of it and hence increasing the attraction of people to it.

The development of dark tourism has benefited from the assertion that was contributive to the motivation of people to exhibit these places. Postmodernism also asserts that fatality is a striking feature that many people have embraced over the years. Fatalities also related to the commodification of death have raised the notion of black spots and other terms including milking the macabre that all indicate to the concept of dark tourism. Stones further discuss the classifications of dark tourism to include perilous places, fields of fatality, houses of horror, tours of torment and themed Thanatos with each having a symbolic aspect that connects it to death or fatalities.

These places have over the years developed into tourist attractions that many people visit the exhibit and learn the events involved leading to the fatalities identified.

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